Fire and Ice: The 43rd Hunger Games
by Hoprocker
Summary: Some say the world will end in fire. Some say in ice. Which side will you take? The 24 tributes that enter into the 43rd annual Hunger Games will have the choice of whether they want to burn or freeze in this harsh arena. But many of these strong-willed competitors will not be going down without a fight. Welcome to the 43rd Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor...
1. The Tributes

**Enjoy the story and make sure to review!  
**

**If you haven't read my first one, I'd encourage you to do so because there will be references made to it and it's a pretty good read, at least in my opinion. But it's not like you **_**have**_** to or anything, so if you just wanna read this one, it's all good. **

**Now let's get started! The 43****rd**** Hunger Games is now a go!**

"_Some say the world will end in fire,  
Some say in ice.  
From what I've tasted of desire  
I hold with those who favor fire.  
But if it had to perish twice,  
I think I know enough of hate  
To say that for destruction ice  
Is also great  
And would suffice."_

"Robert Frost…" President Snow said thoughtfully, as the Head Gamemaker finished reciting the famous poem.

They had returned to the rose-filled garden to discuss the next Hunger Games. Just a year ago, they had sat in the very same place, going over the Games that would take place in a pristine city by the ocean. But that city had long since been destroyed by natural disasters. 23 of the 24 tributes had perished in one way or another.

For a while, the 42nd Hunger Games was all anyone could talk about. Tourists visited the ruined arena and reenacted the deaths of the tributes. But now, they were merely memories. Excitement for the next Games had pushed the previous one from everyone's mind.

"This poem inspired the arena for this year's Games." The Head Gamemaker explained, looking proud of herself. "It's not as flashy as last year's arena, since the audience will want to be seeing something different. It'll be more along the lines of a wilderness setting. It won't have cute commodities such as the Ferris wheel and the tributes will have a much harder time getting by."

"Excellent." Snow said tersely, "I was very pleased with your work last year—the President Snow Cones stand? Brilliant. I am sure this year will not disappoint at all. May I see the list of tributes?"

She obliged, handing him the list of contestants for the 43rd Games.

**District 1 (Luxury)**

M: Saffron Le Bel (16)

F: Ravish Blackwell (18)

**District 2 (Masonry)**

M: Zane Ronan (16)

F: Adrenaline Rush (17)

**District 3 (Technology)**

M: Seth Strider (17)

F: Baye Johnson (14)

**District 4 (Fishing)**

M: Dominic Goldanchor (15)

F: Kelsea Cutthroat (16)

**District 5 (Power)**

M: Lucifer "Luke" Haze (17)

F: Amara Lynn Keeler (15)

**District 6 (Transportation)**

M: Roam Ramble (18)

F: Ember Font (15)

**District 7 (Lumber)**

M: Ivan Kazankov (18)

F: Angela Pax Autumn (12)

**District 8 (Textiles)**

M: Hapi M. Saltzman (17)

F: Hera Sinclair (15)

**District 9 (Grain)**

M: Emmett Bandy (16)

F: Scarlet Kirkland (16)

**District 10 (Livestock)**

M: Jarek Damon (14)

F: Galloway Anson (15)

**District 11 (Agriculture)**

M: Kalin Barry (17)

F: Tiger-Lilly Sorna (14)

**District 12 (Mining)**

M: Bentley Rivera (14)

F: Beatriss "Bea" Thrett (15)

"Interesting…" President Snow said thoughtfully, "Well, I'm looking forward to seeing how each of these children die. You may go."

"Thank you, Mr. President." The Head Gamemaker beamed. Then she gathered up her things and left, her mind overflowing with ideas to perfect her latest arena.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Robert Frost's poem, I don't own the Hunger Games series.**


	2. District Reapings 1 thru 3

**Aajsklghlaksjd can't believe I got so many submissions. I'm sorry I couldn't accept them all. It was pretty tough choosing who got in. I wish I could please everyone, but I can't. Maybe I'll do a Quarter Quell next time and have twice as many tributes like in the 50****th**** :P Haha, just kidding. That would be way too ambitious. XD But let's not think that far ahead…**

**Do you want to know how many Bloodbaths I got? Out of the 30-40 that were submitted? …One. I hope some of you won't be disappointed if your tributes are offed early. Oh, also where I said I'd let you pick your romance? Never mind. I have the profiles; I know who wants a romance and who doesn't, so I should be in charge of that. And you can all be surprised. :P**

**I wrote longer Reapings this time around. I hope you guys don't mind.**

**District 1**

_Everything was gone._

_The piano, the violin, even the French horn…_

"_Father!" Saffron wailed, dashing from the music room towards his father's study. "Father, my instruments are gone!" He threw open the door. His father was seated at his desk, writing, looking quite unconcerned._

"_I know…" His father said, without glancing at his son, "I disposed of them for you."_

_Saffron's eyes widened and filled with tears. "But why?" He asked in a wavering voice. _

"_Because those sorts of petty hobbies are for peasants." His father said quite simply, "You think you can bring honor to this family by playing some fancy tune on a piano?"_

"_But I like playing piano…" Saffron sniffled in protest, but his father cut him off._

"_I've decided that your fate lies with the Hunger Games. When you are 18, you will volunteer. You will win and bring honor to the Le Bel family." He made it sound so simple. But Saffron knew there was no arguing with him._

"_Yes, Father." Saffron said, hastily wiping away his tears and exiting the room._

It had been six years since his father had thrown away his instruments. He was only ten years old when it had happened. Ever since he put his fingers to the keys on a piano, everyone had said Saffron was a prodigy. Music was his passion. He thought he would grow up to be a famous musician or composer. But that was never the case.

Saffron had been born into a rich family, one of the richest in District 1. He lived in a mansion with his father, his mother, and his half-brother, Sage. But Saffron's world revolved around his father. His mother stayed confined to her room, suffering from bouts of depression and the many migraines that came with it. His brother was never around, usually off flirting with commoner girls. His lack of presence was no concern. Sage's blood was impure; he was the son of a deceased man of lower class. He was not a true Le Bel, and was hated by his adopted father, who highly favored Saffron. Saffron was the chosen one, the one that would make his family proud.

Overtime, his father shot down many of Saffron's hobbies so that he would focus on the Hunger Games. But he did allow him to raise three white doves in their garden. Saffron cherished these doves.

It was the day of the Reaping, and Saffron was returning home from his morning walk, in which he had graced the inhabitants of District 1 with his presence. He strolled through the gate and headed instantly to the garden, to feed his beloved pets. When he got there, he was shocked to find their cage opened. The doves were nowhere to be found.

_No need to panic, _Saffron thought, observing it calmly, _Their homing instincts will guide them back here._

So he entered his house and went upstairs to prepare for the Reaping. As he was standing in front of a mirror, grooming his hair, his father appeared behind him. Saffron acknowledged his presence with a nod, and returned to his preparations. They stood there in silence for a few minutes.

Finally, his father spoke. "Have you not been in the garden today?"

Saffron froze. "My doves…what have you done with them?"

"Those birds were mere distractions." His father said sternly, "You won't be needing them anymore after today. I realize we planned to have you volunteer at the age of 18, but I don't want you backing out and I certainly don't want to see a commoner steal the opportunity from you. You shall volunteer today, at the Reaping."

Saffron's throat closed with grief. "Yes, Father." He tried to look unconcerned as his father exited the room. Saffron finished getting ready. It was an hour early, but he decided to head to the Reaping anyways.

Before he left, he checked their garbage cans. Sure enough, three limp figures were lying in the bottom of one. Two of them had had their necks wrung. The third's brilliant white plumage was stained red with blood. It must have put up a good fight and met its fate at the edge of a knife. Saffron reached down and gently picked that one up.

To his surprise, it shifted in his hand. Its black eyes opened and shone as it gazed at its owner. He stroked its head with a finger, not caring that his hands were becoming unclean. The dove cooed and gently tweaked his shirtsleeve with its beak. Then it set its head down and closed its eyes. In his hand, he could feel the tiny creature's heart quietly cease beating.

* * *

Ravish ran a brush through her silky brown hair, admiring her reflection. Everything was absolutely perfect. Her porcelain skin was flawless and her makeup accentuated her pink lips and big brown eyes. Best of all, she was wearing her favorite red dress. She looked the sexiest she had ever been.

"Darling."

Ravish turned to see her family had gathered behind her, ready for departure. Her sisters, Allure and Desire, were lovely in their blue and green dresses. Her mother fussed with their hair, making sure everyone looked their best. Her father was holding a small, black box in his hand.

"This is for you." He smiled kindly from behind his glasses.

Inside, two diamond earrings rested on a tiny red cushion. "They're beautiful." Ravish breathed, taking out her current earrings to put them on. "Thank you so much!"

"I made them myself." Her father said proudly. He worked as a scientist, converting graphite into diamonds, but he never brought any home for his family. The diamonds were expensive, and were always shipped to the Capitol to be sold. But Ravish was uninterested in how he had managed to come away with these. She accepted them gratefully and hugged each of her family in turn.

"Let's get going!" Her older sister, Allure, beamed, "It's your big day!"

"It is." Ravish agreed, smiling.

Ravish had been selected to train for the Hunger Games at age 11. This was her year. Everyone in the academy had agreed upon it. But Ravish knew that some girls were scheming to steal the opportunity away from her. But if any of them made a move to do so at the Reaping today…well, then the Capitol was in for a good show.

At the Reaping, Ravish bid goodbye to her family and got in line to sign in with her little sister, Desire. "Those girls are talking about you." Desire murmured, flicking her eyes in the direction of a group of 18-year olds.

Ravish could see them out of the corner of her eye. Hands at their mouths as they cast hateful glances in her direction. Ravish shook out her hair and stood a little taller. "This should be interesting." A mischievous smile spread across her face, causing her dimples to appear. Her mother always fawned over how they made her look cute and innocent. She was anything but innocent.

Desire gave a light, appreciative laugh. Then the two parted ways to their respective age sections. Ravish could feel many pairs of eyes watching her. They knew this was her year, but they were planning to steal it away.

_Like hell that's going to happen. _Ravish narrowed her eyes.

Their fashion-challenged escort took to the stage and tittered on about the Dark Days and the Hunger Games. Everyone was tense; waiting for the moment she would draw the first name. After what seemed like hours, she sang, "Ladies first!" and went to draw a name from the first bowl.

Ravish took a deep breath, preparing to volunteer.

"Posey Gardenia!"

"I volunteer!" Ravish shouted, but her voice was drowned out by excited squeals.

Posey was making her way to the stage, waving like she was some sort of celebrity. She was a tall blonde wearing a tight, pink dress. She was one of the sleazes that had been gossiping about Ravish earlier on. Ravish quickly started to push through the crowd, but Posey's clique blocked her way. This had been planned.

Ravish didn't even hesitate. Her leg was a blur as she lashed out and slid it under the girls' feet, knocking each one of them to the ground. Before they had even figured out what happened, Ravish had leaped over them and was making a beeline for Posey, who was about to scale the stairs and take to the stage…

"Hey!" Ravish snapped. She caught up and grabbed Posey's long blonde hair in her hand, yanking her head back. Posey gave a cry of pain. Ravish was right in her face. "I _said _I volunteer. Didn't you hear me?"

"No!" Posey hissed fiercely.

"Wrong answer."

She raked her nails down the blonde girl's face, leaving neat red gashes and smearing her make-up. Posey, screeching with rage, tore free and threw herself at Ravish, tackling her to the ground.

"Cat-fight!" One of the older boys declared cheerfully.

Ravish writhed, battering at Posey's stomach with her knees, trying to force her off. Posey gripped her brown hair in both hands and pulled. Ravish threw her head from side to side, trying to break away from her assailant. She could hear excited murmurs emanating from the crowd. Unbearable pain shook the roots of her hair, but she refused to give in.

She reached up and dug her nails into Posey's eyes. Posey howled and drew back, pressing back tears. Ravish shoved her roughly, sending her sprawling onto her back. She rolled the blonde girl onto her stomach and grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her.

"Let's try this again." Ravish said through gritted teeth, as Posey wailed to be released, "I _said_ I volunteer. Did you hear me or didn't you?"

"I heard you! I heard you!" Posey cried hysterically, "Now please just let me go!"

Ravish released her, smiling. "There. That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Posey sniffled in response. Peacekeepers came over and guided her away on shaky feet. Ravish turned back to the crowd of girls behind her and glared at them. Nobody moved. _Good._

Ravish paused, fluffing up her hair and smoothing down her dirtied dress the best she could. Then she took to the stage, smiling broadly. The flustered escort asked for her name.

"Ravish Blackwell." She said, sweeping into a perfect curtsy, "I'm honored to be here."

District 1 erupted into applause. Their tribute wasn't even in the arena, but she had already scored a victory. She was definitely one to be reckoned with. Once the crowd had settled, the escort moved on to the boys.

"This year's male tribute is—"

A fight erupted before she could even finish reading the name. A few boys had all darted for the stage at the same time, shouting, "I volunteer!" Now they were brawling in the middle of the two groups of children. Everyone watched with wide eyes. This was the most action-packed Reaping they had had in a while.

Suddenly, a commanding voice bellowed, "Out of my way, peasants!" A tall figure walked right through the fight, shoving the others out of his way. He beat all of them to the stage before they could do anything about it.

Ravish observed him carefully. He was lean and tall, taller than her. He was neatly groomed, with straight, light blonde hair that framed his face. His most defining feature, by far, was his bright, icy-blue eyes. He was handsome in a dignified sort of way, but his face was currently set in a scowl.

"Wonderful!" The escort exclaimed, holding out the microphone, "Please introduce yourself."

The boy cast a withering look towards the crowd, as if he could not be bothered. "What is the point? I have no wish to speak to commoners. Do not think I'm here because I wish to be."

There was a gasp of outrage from District 1. Who was this boy, to call _them_ commoners, when he lived in the same district as them? And if he didn't wish to be there, why would he take the opportunity away from someone who did?

"U-Umm…" The escort stammered, unsure of what to do, "But we just need your name…you don't have to say anything else, if you don't want to…"

"…Saffron Le Bel." He glared daggers at the crowd, almost accusingly.

_What is with this guy?_ Ravish wondered. The name Le Bel sounded familiar. Perhaps she had overheard students gossiping about him in school. She could believe it, considering his attitude…

Well, it didn't matter. District 1 had one tribute that they could be proud of. As long as they had her, they would get a good show.

**District 2**

It had been three years since that fateful day.

The day Adrenaline had volunteered for the Hunger Games. She was only 14 when she had done so, but she had known she was ready. After all, she had trained her whole life to compete. But District 2 was full of children that couldn't wait to enter the Games. Someone else had taken to the stage, stealing away her opportunity.

But she had been persistent. She had attacked the other girl, screaming that she should relinquish it to her. But this girl refused, saying that it was her last year to compete. Then Adrenaline had shoved her off the stage.

The girl hit her head hard. There was some internal bleeding. They never heard from her again. But Adrenaline didn't get to compete that year; someone else came along to snatch the opportunity away. Luckily, her punishment was minor. She wasn't allowed to have her name in the Reaping for three years.

Her parents had been suspicious at first. Perhaps it was a conspiracy. The Capitol wanted bloodthirsty tributes, but Adrenaline was young. Maybe they wanted her to hold off on entering the Games so that she could grow up and gain more experience. That was the only thing they could think of. Either way, they didn't question it. They were happy to get off easy, even though Adrenaline griped for three years straight about being unable to compete.

Well, three years was up. This was her year, and she would make sure to be in this year's Hunger Games.

"What about Tella?" Arrow murmured quietly, running his fingers through Adrenaline's short, dark crimson hair. "I heard some rumor that she's supposed to keep you from volunteering. Apparently, they'll kill her family if she doesn't."

Adrenaline looked at her boyfriend with wide olive green eyes. "Well then it's a good thing I don't care. Tella's probably spreading lies around so she can claim the spot. But this year, it's _mine_."

Arrow laughed lightly. "That's what I like about you. You're not afraid to say things."

Adrenaline moved in close and pressed her lips to his. They kissed for a full minute, before she broke away and whispered, "I'm going to miss you, Arrow. I wish you could come to the arena with me but there can be only one winner."

"And it'll be you." Arrow responded, brushing her neck with his lips.

She smirked, breathing into his ear. "That's right. I'll do whatever it takes to win!"

"Even romance another man?" Arrow wondered, trying to look hurt, but he failed miserably and broke out into a grin. They both snickered. They had talked it over. Adrenaline was willing to do whatever it took, even if she had to woo a hapless male tribute. Arrow was completely okay with this, so long as she made sure to kill the boy when she was done using him.

"Well, I'd better go home and get ready." Adrenaline said, rising to her feet. Arrow stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Good luck," He said, giving her another kiss, "I'll see you after the Reaping."

"In the Justice Building." Adrenaline agreed, eyes shining.

* * *

Clang! Clang!

Zane's sword was a blur as he slashed it at his brother. His older brother, Oreon, blocked repeatedly, resulting in a harsh scraping sound. Beads of sweat flew off Zane's face, which was screwed up with concentration.

"Be light on your feet!" Zane's oldest brother, Carter, called.

_I am! _Zane gritted his teeth in frustration. He poured every ounce of energy into battling his adversary. With a surge of strength, Zane pushed through his brother's defenses. The tip of his sword stopped at Oreon's throat. "There." He panted.

"Good job." Carter smiled, "You're ready."

Zane tucked his sword into its sheath, looking disgruntled. "No, I'm not. That took way too long and I'd be dead if a mutt or another tribute came along during that time."

"Well, there's nothing you can do about it. Today's the Reaping and we'd better get going."

Zane sighed. "No, I have to practice until I get it right."

"You can't be late to the Reaping!" Oreon pointed out, "You're volunteering today."

Zane's heart pounded nervously at the thought of it. Both of his brothers were older than him, and eligible for the Reaping, but their mentors had chosen _him_. He was stronger and, according to everyone else, he was ready. But Zane couldn't help feel that he was far from perfect.

Still, he allowed his brothers to lead him from the training room. They walked back to their wealthy home together to get prepared. As he took a shower and pulled on a fresh shirt, Zane went over his training in his head, trying to remember everything he had been taught. He still had a few doubts about the Games, but everyone had agreed that this was his year. Zane gazed intently at his reflection in an ornate mirror on a downstairs wall.

He was tall with olive skin—strong, but not overly muscular. He had brown hair and intense caramel brown eyes that were alight with excitement. _You can do this! _He declared, trying to psyche himself up. _You're smart, fast, strong…it's all you!_

His parents appeared and started fawning over how handsome he was, but he barely heard them. He just kept thinking _I got this! I got this!_

At the Reaping, many of his friends began to approach him, congratulating him, as if he had already claimed the spot. He turned to his parents, hugging each of them in turn, and then sped off to talk to his fellow schoolmates.

"Are any of the older boys volunteering?" Zane asked one of his friends.

"I haven't heard anything. Looks like the mentors pretty much sealed the deal for you."

Zane wished he could have had two more years to perfect his training, but that was just too good to be true. He was the chosen candidate.

"How about the female tribute?" He asked, peering at the mass of girls that had accumulated by the stage.

"Umm…I think it's going to be Tella."

At that point, their overexcited female escort took to the stage and told everyone to take their places. Zane stood among the 16-year olds, not too far from his brothers who were ages 17 and 18. The escort flounced over to a microphone and gibbered on about the Dark Days in a squeaky voice. As usual, no one paid any attention until it was time to pick the first name.

"Now for our female tribute!" The announcer gasped dramatically. She snatched up a slip of paper. Just as her lips parted to read it, someone shrieked at the top of their lungs.

"Screw you! I'M VOLUNTEERING!"

Zane spotted a girl with spiky red hair shoving her way through the female tributes. She was of average weight and height, with tan skin and blazing green eyes that dared anyone to challenge her. She seemed vaguely familiar. _Ah. Adrenaline Rush. _Zane acknowledged. She was a loud-mouthed chick notorious for her odd name and making out with her boyfriend in the school hallway.

Adrenaline went sprinting towards the stage. Halfway there, she stopped and turned around. "Oh, I'm sorry. Tella, weren't _you _supposed to keep me from volunteering? Said they'd kill your family or something?"

She had honed in on a scared-looking brunette.

"Well go on." She smiled maliciously. "I _dare _you to try and take this away from me."

Tella was visibly shaking. "Umm…I…" She seemed to be tearing up. All of the cameras were focused on her.

Adrenaline spit at the ground by Tella's feet. "Yeah, I thought so! Hope your family has fun dead." Then she turned away and practically skipped up to the stage.

The escort asked for her name and Adrenaline snatched the microphone from her, screaming, "Don't pretend you don't know who I am! The name's Adrenaline Rush! You thought you could hold me back, but you couldn't—I will be the winner of the 43rd Hunger Games and you will beg for forgiveness for what you have put me through!"

A long silence followed her words. Everyone stared at her, open-mouthed. Then, all at once, they burst into applause. Adrenaline smirked approvingly and handed the microphone back to the escort.

"Yay Adrenaline!" She giggled, a little bit nervously, "Let's see who will be joining you in the arena!"

The audience quieted, eager to find out the name of the male tribute. Once again, before the name on the slip of paper could be read aloud, someone volunteered. Everyone turned to see Zane walking calmly towards the stage, a confident smile on his face. Adrenaline crossed her arms, looking mildly annoyed that her spotlight had been taken away. But on stage, she shook his hand and offered him a mischievous grin.

_Hello, my new ally. _Zane nodded at her, smirking. Then he turned to the crowd and waved, listening to their applause with growing excitement.

**District 3**

"Happy Birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Seth…happy birthday to you."

Seth sang quietly under his breath as he tinkered with one of the prototype weapons his parents had discarded. Today, he turned 17. Normally, any other child would be celebrating this with their parents. They were one step closer to being taken out of the Reaping ball. But Seth's parents were never around. Instead of spending time with their son, they chose to work on illegal weapons for the Capitol. But he had grown accustomed to this. He didn't mind. After all, birthdays were nothing special. So you managed to not die for a year—whoop de doo. Not like that's such a great feat or anything.

Well, unless you were chosen for the Hunger Games.

And today was the Reaping. Seth got ready in no time at all, putting on a midnight blue shirt that looked good with his black hair and gray eyes. Before he left the house, he popped his head into his parents' workroom. They were facing away from him, focusing on whatever they were doing.

"I thought you would be interested to know that today is Reaping day." Seth announced quietly. _And it's also my birthday._

No response.

"I'll be on my way." Seth hesitated. Still no response.

Just as he went to close the door, his mother said quickly, "Oh! Be right there, hon." As if she had just realized his presence.

Seth didn't wait for them. 'Be right there' usually meant, 'I may or may not take action within the next few hours.' So Seth grabbed his favorite book on Panem history and went to the Reaping by himself.

As he walked, he kept his nose buried in his book. This was his third time reading it. He loved rereading books because he would always catch something he missed the first or second time through. Walking through the town square, he could hear people murmuring his name. His classmates, of course. They didn't approve of him.

Girls usually found him intimidating, with his cold gray eyes set in his pale face, which was usually devoid of emotion. He was tall and thin with straight, black hair that hung in his face. He would usually stare at people, scrutinizing them, but apparently this was frowned upon. Guys always made sure to let him know which of his qualities were lacking.

"Got your nose buried in a book as usual, eh Seth?" A familiar voice snarled.

Seth didn't bother looking up. It was just another one of his nameless bullies, coming by to show how much he cared.

"Why don't you read one that teaches you how to be a normal human being?" The older boy and his cronies guffawed.

Seth didn't respond. My, the Dark Days were just so fascinating to read about. And the book even included a diagram of every muttation that was used by the Capitol back when—

"Hey! I'm talking to you, stupid!"

The book was suddenly slapped out of Seth's hands. It landed with a thud at his feet. He looked at the bullies in surprise. They were laughing uncontrollably, as if this were the funniest thing they had ever witnessed…

Seth bent down and picked up his book, dusting it off. A wry smile formed on his lips. "I'm honored to be the subject of your clever one-liners."

The older boy narrowed his eyes and growled, "What's _that _supposed to mean?"

"Well, assuming you're informed in the subject of psychology, the male species will often target those that cause them to feel emasculated in order to feel more dominant. It's completely understandable, coming from one in your IQ pool. I'm honored."

With that, Seth turned and walked away, leaving behind some very confused bullies.

"_What _did he just say?"

* * *

Baye was currently walking to the Reaping with her father and her little sister, Leighton. They lived pretty far from the town square and it was a long haul over there. Baye dragged her feet and kept her head bowed, but it wasn't because she was tired.

Her father reached over and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. He knew she was thinking about her mother. Their family was originally from District 4. But when Baye was seven years old, her mother died in a boating accident. Life had been a struggle after that. Their house was filled with memories of their mother. Baye never stopped crying. And so her father decided that they had to leave.

They wound up breaking the law by leaving District 4. It was a harrowing journey to District 3, but Baye's father was well prepared, and they made it there in one piece. But District 3 wasn't a very welcoming place. They were lucky to find a home in the poorest part of the district, but people still frowned upon them for being outsiders.

Leighton was completely oblivious to it all. She was only 8 years old, after all, and she didn't remember their mother, or the long journey to their new home. Baye envied her naivety. _If I could trade places with you, I would… _Baye thought sadly, watching her sister bound ahead her enthusiastically, exclaiming how she couldn't wait to see what the escort would be wearing this year.

But once they came into the town square, she grew somber. The air was heavy with depression. It was time to bid farewell to two more of their own today.

Baye got in line to check in. Leighton joined her. "Leighton, go stand with Dad. You're too young to be reaped."

Leighton looked at her with wide blue eyes. "But I want to stay with you. You look scared."

Baye tried to put on a brave face. "I'm fine. Just go stand with Dad. I'll be back in a bit."

"Okay." Leighton agreed and left to seek out their father. Baye couldn't help but smile a little bit. She was just like their dad, in personality and looks. Baye, however, was the mirror image of her mother, with long, dark brown hair, brown eyes, and freckles. She was fairly tan, too. Her dad was always saying that her mother had a nice tan going, but Baye couldn't be sure. Memories of her had faded over time.

"Hey you!" A cheerful voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

She turned to see Savannah, her best friend in the whole wide world, cutting in line to get to her. She was the only one who accepted her. The only one who didn't care she was from another district and had broken the law by coming here. "Way to cut in line." Baye said quietly, jerking her head towards the long line of potential tributes that had formed behind them.

"Eh. They'll get over it." Savannah grinned mischievously. "How are you doing?"

Baye smiled. "I'm okay. I just want to get this over with."

"We should have a sleepover later." Savannah suggested, "That would be fun."

"Yeah. That would be." Baye agreed quietly.

They stood there in a comfortable silence. That was what Baye liked about her friend. It was never awkward to just stand there with her, not saying anything. Plus, she radiated confidence. It calmed her nerves, and she felt grateful for her presence.

Together, they signed in and went to the section that belonged to the 14 year old girls. Savannah made sarcastic remarks during the escort's usual presentation while Baye tried to keep from laughing. Finally, it was time for the first name to be drawn. The escort snatched up a piece of paper and opened it slowly, for dramatic effect.

"Savannah Jenkins." She announced.

Baye looked at Savannah, horrified. Savannah turned her head slowly, meeting Baye's gaze. "Well…didn't expect that." She said, trying to sound nonchalant. But the fear in her eyes was evident. The Peacekeepers placed themselves on either side of Savannah and began to take her away.

"Wait!" Baye cried out, "Stop! I volunteer!"

Savannah whipped around, looking furious. "Baye, no!" She hissed, "Don't you dare—"

"Take me instead." Baye said firmly, shoving her way towards the Peacekeepers. They looked from Baye to Savannah, unsure of whom to take.

"My name was called. _I'm _District 3's tribute." Savannah said through gritted teeth.

Baye clenched her fists. "I'll fight you." She said, her voice quavering ever so slightly.

Savannah glared at her. Baye met her gaze. Both wanted to sacrifice their life for the other. Neither was going to back down. After glowering at each other for a full minute, Savannah was the one who surrendered. "Fine."

Looking relieved, the Peacekeepers led Baye up to the stage, leaving behind a frustrated Savannah. They forced her back into line and announced the male tribute.

* * *

Seth watched Baye and Savannah argue over who should get to compete in the Hunger Games with interest. He couldn't understand why they would do such a thing.

_I wouldn't dare volunteer for that convoluted Capitol hoax of twisted festivities… _He thought, _that girl must be slightly off-kilter._

Unfortunately for him, Seth wouldn't have to volunteer.

"Our male tribute for this year is Seth Strider."

Seth's eyes widened ever so slightly as the realization that he had been chosen sunk in. Then his face reverted back to its usual emotionless expression as he walked up to the stage. He was still clutching his book, but the escort took it from him, demanding that they shake hands.

Seth looked carefully at the female tribute, scrutinizing her. She held out her hand and he stared at it, unsure of what to do. _I think I've read about this behavior before. Isn't it some sort of mating ritual?_

Before he had time to consider it further, Baye snatched up his hand and shook it awkwardly. He just looked at her, surprised, and let his hand fall limp in her own.

**I suppose I should get this out of the way now. If you hated Hip, you're going to despise Saffron. I apologize in advance if he offends anyone with his tendencies to be a total d-bag. Just remember he's fictional and I don't share any of the viewpoints that he does. Just like how I don't condone guys playing girls like Hip did. I simply like creating jerk characters.  
**


	3. District Reapings 4 thru 6

**Well, I'm glad you guys like Saffron so far. Even though you ain't seen nothin' yet...that's why I apologized /in advance/ Still, I hope you continue to like him, along with many of the other characters that were submitted. Let's meet some more!**

**District 4  
**

_I hate this place. _

_The harsh sun. The endless ocean. The rotten smell of fish at low tide. The obsession everyone shares for training to be in the Hunger Games…_

_I hate it._

Kelsea sat huddled in the shade of a low building, watching the ocean's waves relentlessly pound the shore. Just reflecting on everything she hated about District 4. Every little thing about this district would grind on her nerves. Perhaps it was because of her parents.

She came from a wealthy family that lived close to the Victor's Village. Her parents were the owners of a fish cannery and extremely obsessed with their status and appearance. They worked hard to maintain the image that their family was perfect in every way, but that was not the case. They were control freaks, expecting Kelsea and her little brother, Dylan, to be well mannered and perfectly behaved on all occasions. Worst of all, they had set her up in an arranged marriage with the son of a rich captain. They didn't care about her happiness at all—it was all for their own gain.

The son of the captain was kind. He would often shower her with gifts and tell her she was beautiful. She couldn't understand why; she didn't work as hard on her appearance as other girls in the district did. She had dark purple bags under her deep blue eyes, which she didn't bother to cover with makeup. Her skin was pale from her avoidance of the sun. But a few things did come naturally to her. She was fit and had light blonde hair that fell down to her back. She also had luscious, light pink lips that the captain's son would kiss every chance he got.

But she never kissed him back. She already had a boyfriend…Gillbert. The only one she truly cared about. They had planned to meet here in secret, before the Reaping, but he probably hadn't been able to get out of his house. Kelsea sighed, feeling immensely disappointed.

She wanted to let him know what she was planning for the Reaping. He knew of the arranged marriage and knew that they could never be together. But he didn't know Kelsea was planning to volunteer to compete in the Hunger Games.

Over the years, she had been channeling her pent up aggression into training for the Games. It was her only way out. If she won, she could be with Gillbert. She could live in the Victor's Village, away from her parents, and refuse to give them even a cent of her hard-won cash. It would be glorious.

Risking her life would be worth it.

"Hey! Kels!"

Her heart skipped a beat, as it always did when she saw Gillbert coming towards her. He was grinning from ear to ear. His expression was contagious and Kelsea found herself returning his smile. He hugged her tightly and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Sorry I'm late. Wanna walk to the Reaping together?"

Kelsea glanced down at her pretty blue dress. It was mussed and coated with sand from her sitting so long. And the ocean breeze had turned her hair into a tangled mess. Her parents would be furious.

She smiled. "Let's go."

* * *

"How are you feeling today, Dominic? Are you okay to go to the Reaping?"

"I'm fine, Dad." Dominic answered in a soft voice, trying to look reassuring.

"Okay," His father smiled, "Let's get going."

"Can Silver come?"

"I don't see why not."

Dominic's hazel eyes lit up. "Here, boy!" He called. The Siberian husky came pounding across the room, tongue lolling, tail wagging.

Dominic couldn't help but compare his father to his mother. His mother would have spent forever on checking him for bruises. And she would've said, "No, Silver can't come! He's too rough." Even though Dominic would have slowly explained that Silver was excitable, but knew how to be gentle too.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief that she was gone, and he had been sent to live with his father. She had been so paranoid about Dominic's health, constantly arguing with her husband on how to take care of him. Sooner or later, it became less about what was best for him and more about her proving that she was the superior parent. Considering Dominic chose to live with his father after the divorce, it became obvious who the better parent was.

Together, they walked to the Reaping. Dominic was feeling very insecure and could have sworn that people were looking at him. They knew he was sick. He was always missing school and visiting a wide array of doctors. Everyone suspected something was wrong with him, but they didn't know what.

_And they'll never know. _Dominic promised himself. He felt a cold nose nudge his hand and he looked down to see Silver peering up at him with his crystal blue eyes. The dog let out a long whine. They had arrived at the Reaping. The scent of fear permeated the air, making the husky nervous.

Dominic knelt down and ran his hands through Silver's shaggy coat, murmuring soothing words. "I'll be okay. Don't you worry boy. I'll be right back." Silver reached forward and licked his face. The dog was trained to protect him, but if his master said everything was okay, then he just had to trust in him.

Dominic stood up and hugged his father. "See you in a bit." His dad said, his face crinkling up in a kind smile.

As he approached the sign-in station, Dominic turned ashen. He always started feeling nervous at this point. They took a blood sample and signed him in. He hated the sight of blood on his finger. Dominic stuck it in his mouth and sucked on it for a long time, trying to stay calm. He stood in the 15-year old section, fearfully waiting for the Reaping to begin.

The usual spiel about the Dark Days was over in a flash. Dominic wished it could have gone on longer, so they could have put off what was coming. The escort went to draw the name of the female tributes.

"This year's female tribute is…Marlina Tarpon."

"I volunteer."

Before anyone could figure out who Marlina Tarpon was, a blonde-haired girl was calmly making her way to the stage, out of the section of 16-year olds. Nobody challenged her. They just watched her go with curious eyes. There was a gasp of outrage from the back of the crowd. "Kelsea!" Dominic looked back to see two adults looking completely shocked. Her parents. Obviously, they hadn't been in on the girl's decision.

"What's your name, my dear?"

"Kelsea Cutthroat."

There were sounds of approval from the crowd. Cutthroat was a type of fish, a trout to be precise, but it was a pretty hardcore last name too. No doubt just the sound of her name would strike fear into the hearts of lesser tributes.

"And now for our male tribute…"

This was the moment he was dreading. Dominic closed his eyes. His insides were quaking with fear and he felt as if he were going to be sick. _Just get it over with! _He screamed inwardly.

"Dominic Goldanchor."

Dominic's breath started coming in short, ragged gasps as he tried not to lose it. He whipped around to stare at his father in horror. But he didn't look worried. Earlier that day, he had said, "District 4 is full of Careers. If you're ever chosen, someone will volunteer for you."

To which Dominic had responded, "What about last year? A girl my age was chosen. No one volunteered for her."

And now, it was happening again.

A hush had descended over the audience. No one would speak up. Children around Dominic pointed at him, directing the Peacekeepers towards the chosen tribute. He stood there, shaking, eyes dilated with fear.

A deep voice broke the silence. "Isn't anyone going to volunteer?"

It was his father, of course. Now he looked scared. He was whipping his head around, looking frustrated. Silver, sensing that something was amiss, started barking.

Dominic ran before he even realized what he was doing. He darted right past the Peacekeepers and shot towards his father and his dog. As if they could save him from this terrible fate. But he had a messed up hip, making him a slow runner. The Peacekeepers grabbed him instantly. He struggled to get away.

One began to raise his weapon, to strike him unconscious, but then his father was screaming, "Don't hurt him! Dominic, just go! GO!"

Dominic obeyed, falling limp in the men's hands. He let them guide him to the stage, blinking back tears. Silver continued to bark, but Dominic's father held onto him tightly. The husky was writhing frantically, but it did no good. Dominic had been chosen as tribute. Silver could no longer protect his master.

* * *

Kelsea watched the rest of the Reaping with a bored expression. _Get over it, kid. _She thought, glancing at Dominic. He had bright, golden blonde hair and wide hazel eyes. He was short and thin, with random bruises covering his pale white skin. He obviously didn't get out much, and most definitely didn't train. He wouldn't be a very big asset to the Career alliance.

But he _was _her district partner, and she felt a certain sense of loyalty to him. Turning away from Dominic, she spotted Gillbert in the back of the crowd. This had been his last year eligible for the Reaping. Now, he was in the clear. But she would make sure to win for both of them.

So she could return to him and live her own life.

**District 5 **

"_Why don't you ever talk?" "Are you mute?" "You're so weird!" "Freak."_

_These jibes had echoed in Amara's mind all morning. She was sick of it. For as long as she could remember, she had lived in this orphanage, being picked on by the others. The rooms were in good condition and they never went hungry, but she couldn't stand being bullied for another day._

_She went to the toy box that was kept in the playroom, ignoring the other children, as they ignored her. She took out a bat as well as a baseball, so as to not appear suspicious, and headed back to her room. None of the workers spotted her. She entered her room, closed the door, and approached the window, throwing the baseball aside. Her heart was pounding with excitement._

_SMASH!_

_In one smooth movement, she broke the window. Glass shattered to the floor. She tossed the bat aside and quickly climbed out the window, terrified that someone might have heard the noise. But she had been careless. The outer edge of the window still had jagged pieces of glass jutting out of it. As she climbed through, it dug into her arms and hands, leaving long gashes. She cried out, working through the pain. _

_The door slammed open and in came the Headmistress, but Amara was already off and running. Their shouting faded into the distance as she ran blindly through the streets. She easily outdistanced her pursuers. _

_Gasping for breath, she turned a corner to hide, but ran straight into a Peacekeeper. She reeled backwards, face full of fear. She had seen Peacekeepers whip rule breakers before. Would she meet the same fate?_

_But the Peacekeeper was a woman, and she didn't look as scary as the others Amara had seen. She had blonde wavy hair, blue eyes, and a kind smile. But as soon as she saw the blood running down the girl's arms, her expression became one of concern. "What's happened to you? Are you all right?" She asked sharply._

"_I ran away." Amara admitted, eyes filling with tears, "I'm so sorry. Please don't hurt me. Please don't make me go back there!"_

Six years later, Amara lazed on her bed, lightly tracing the scars on her arms with her finger. Her mind swam with memories as she remembered how she came to meet her adopted mother, Cleo. She was only 9 years old back then, when she had escaped from the orphanage. She had told the kind Peacekeeper her story. The next morning, Cleo had burst into the orphanage, demanding that they let her adopt Amara. It took a lot of paperwork, but she dealt with it all. Now, they were living happily together.

Amara glanced at the clock. The Reaping would be starting soon. _Might as well stop putting it off. _So she quickly pulled on a simple white dress and left for the town square. She went by herself—her mother had gone there early this morning to help get everything set up.

She signed in and went to stand in the section for 15-year old girls. Her mother walked down the aisle between the two groups of children and spotted her instantly. She gave her a friendly wave and then continued on with her duty. Amara smiled a little bit. Her mother's presence made her feel ten times safer.

She couldn't help but feel that everything was going to be okay.

* * *

"Do we have everyone? Where's Luke?"

"I'm right here, Mom. Behind you."

Luke's mother gave a short scream and whirled around. "Luke! How many times have I told you not to do that?"

"He can't help it, Mom. He's a ninja." Luke's oldest brother smiled mischievously.

Luke shrugged. "Sorry."

His mother was always so high-strung, ever since their Dad had passed away in that factory meltdown. She seemed convinced that, if she wasn't constantly watching them, one of her three sons would wander off and find some horrible way to die. But Luke was the youngest, and he was already 17. They knew how to take care of themselves.

"Let's go. We're already running late." Luke's mother said quickly, hurrying everyone out the door.

As they melded into the crowds that were headed to the Reaping, Luke could hear a flurry of whispering. A group of girls were watching him and his brothers with bright eyes, murmuring to one another and giggling. The Haze boys were notorious for their attractive qualities and were quite popular with the ladies. But Luke was the only one who was single at the moment—they were most likely talking about him. His oldest brother picked up on this and gave him a light-hearted nudge.

But then he had to part from his family and get in line to sign in. He bid farewell to his brothers and his mother. She looked as if she were going to start crying at any moment. Luke comforted her as she sobbed into his shirt.

"Mom, the Reaping hasn't even begun yet…everything's going to be fine…" He soothed, knowing that she was thinking of Dad.

He managed to pry her off of him when the escort took to the stage, announcing for everyone to take their places. They showed a video on the Dark Days and droned on about how thankful they were to the Capitol. Then came the moment of truth, in which they would pick the two poor souls that were to lose their lives in the Hunger Games…

"Amara Lynn Keeler."

The crowd of girls seemed to ripple as they turned their heads to look for the one that had been reaped. It didn't take much effort to spot her. Any tribute that was reaped against their will always had this look about them—wide eyes, stiff body, mouth hanging open in shock.

_There she is. _Luke realized, spotting the chosen female. She looked very scared and was standing among the 15-year olds. She didn't stand out for being tall or short. She was pretty much your average girl. She had black, wavy hair that fell down past her shoulders. Her bangs were swept to the side, over round, light gray eyes that were dull with shock. She was also lightly tanned—perhaps she spent a lot of time outside, Luke noted.

A Peacekeeper went to pull her out of the crowd. Then, oddly enough, the Peacekeeper wrapped her arms around the girl and held her close. The crowd murmured, unsettled by this unexpected display of affection.

Then she was led up to the stage. Luke could see she was trying to put on a brave face.

_Poor girl, _He thought, feeling sympathetic, _I'd hate to be her._

* * *

The smile had instantly vanished from Amara's face as soon as she heard her name. She stood there, paralyzed, as her mind raced. She wondered if she could run for it. Or if her mother could somehow get her out of it.

Instead, she took a deep breath of air and tried to look confident. Her mother came to her side and hugged her, but Amara stood there, rigid. She didn't acknowledge Cleo's presence at all. If she did, she was afraid that she would break down right then and there. When her mother released her, she stiffly walked to the stage by herself.

The escort greeted her and asked how she was. She forced a smile and said she was fine. Then they selected the male tribute.

"Lucifer Haze."

Amara spotted a 17-year old boy with black hair flinch at the sound of his name. But as he approached the stage, his expression turned from fear to confidence. His dark, charcoal gray eyes were calm. Amara vaguely registered a scar running along his right cheek.

_You're not fooling anyone. _Amara thought. She could see right past his façade. He was just as scared as she was.

**District 6**

Ember was getting ready for the Reaping while her father growled at her to hurry up. She ignored him, purposely going as slow as she dared.

"Hurry up!" He snapped, quite rudely, "Attendance is mandatory for everyone."

"No kidding!" Ember snarled back, "Not like this the 15th Reaping I've been to or anything like that!" She turned back to her makeup job, her eyes slits of annoyance.

Her father sneered at her. "Well, I'm just going to leave you at home if you won't cooperate. See you later." He stormed outside and slammed the door behind him.

"Well good riddance!" Ember called after him, "I'll make sure to leave the door unlocked after I leave!" She glared at the door, but her dad didn't reappear. She snatched up her brush and combed her hair quite roughly, glowering at her reflection. _It's not like I killed Mom. He doesn't have to take it out on me._

Her mother had died giving birth to her younger brother, who was stillborn. It was one of the saddest days of her life. And it had changed her father. He became a bitter old man, constantly taking out his aggression on his last remaining family member. But Ember wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. She'd learned to deal with it.

Ten minutes later, she departed the house, locking the door behind her anyways. She hurried to the Reaping, realizing that she was pretty darn late. The line to sign in had nearly disappeared, and the announcer was calling everyone to gather before the stage when she arrived.

She hurried to sign in and ran to join her fellow 15-year olds.

* * *

Roam arrived at the Reaping extremely early, smiling brightly, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. His two loving parents, as well as his two brothers Otto and Trip, were still at home getting ready for the day. But he had woken up extra early for this special occasion.

"Journey!" Roam cried out when he spotted her.

She immediately brightened when she saw him, and ran towards him, as fast as her high heels would allow her to. She looked beautiful in a flowing, deep blue dress. Roam completely forgot about the bouquet in his hands and dropped it as he caught her in his arms and spun her around. Then he set her down, both of them grinning widely.

"Happy anniversary." Journey smiled, pecking him on the lips.

Roam could feel his heart pounding in his chest. They had been dating for years, but he always felt complete when he was with Journey. For most of their district, the Reaping was to be dreaded. For them, it was a day of celebration.

"So are these for me?" Journey asked, reaching down to pick up the discarded flowers.

"Oh y-yeah! I completely forgot about them." Roam exclaimed, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"They're beautiful. Thank you so much." Journey stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. He could feel himself turn red. "So where are we going on our date tonight?"

"Only the most expensive restaurant in all of District 6—Le Stazione!" Roam announced with a flourish.

Journey emitted an excited squeal, clapping her hands together. "No way!"

Roam grinned, his eyes shining. "Yes way. This will be our last Reaping, after all. It's a good cause to celebrate."

And so they spent the rest of their morning planning out their dream date. Journey rested her head on Roam's shoulder as she spoke of past Reapings and dates. He closed his eyes and listened contently. Things were so different when Journey was with him. He could focus on what she was saying and could put his thoughts into words with ease. It was almost as if his ADHD didn't even exist.

But as soon as he had to part from her, it all came back to him. He stuttered and fidgeted. His classmates bullied him. Life was hard and he always made sure to treasure every moment that was spent with Journey.

Eventually, citizens of District 5 filtered into the town square for the Reaping. Roam began to get distracted, his eyes constantly sweeping over the throng of people that had gathered. Journey reached out and caught his face between her hands and pressed her lips to his. Immediately, he was brought back to his senses. He reveled in the kiss. His mouth tingled at the touch of Journey's lips.

Then, all too soon, she broke away from him to look deep into his gentle brown eyes. "I'll see you after the Reaping." She said softly, smiling, "I can't wait for our big date tonight."

Then she was gone, disappearing into the crowd to join the other prospective female tributes. Roam sat there, scanning the crowd for a sign of his family. He couldn't spot them. Oh well—he'd just have to seek them out later.

So he quickly signed in and headed to the back of the crowd, where the 18-year olds stood. He stood between two unfamiliar faces and fidgeted nervously. It was tough staying still, so he tried to occupy his mind with other thoughts. Journey? No, her absence always made him feel nervous. His heart ached desperately for her. Then he recalled last year's Hunger Games. The perfect topic to keep his mind busy.

He thought about Chat and Mitch, the two tributes that had lost their lives in that disastrous arena. Chat was only 14 but he had really admired her. She had inspired him to try setting up his own traps in his free time. It was a blast to figure out how they worked and use them to his advantage. Mitch, meanwhile, had been a spacey sort of guy that never said much. He had sat next to Roam in one of his classes. Roam never thought much of him, but looking back on it, Mitch's silent company was pretty nice to have around. Especially since most boys his age made fun of him…

"Hey Roam!" Someone jeered a few spots over from him, "Where's your girlfriend? You got a hot date with her tonight?"

"Uhh…" Roam paused uncertainly. _Don't stutter. _He told himself firmly. "Sh-she's over th-there…and y-y-yes, as a matter of fact, we d-do." He smiled, glowing with warmth. He had managed to get out a full sentence despite his nerves!

But for some reason, everyone was snickering at him. "W-w-w-wow, Roam!" The older boy mocked, "I-I-I al-almost understood y-y-you that t-time!"

"Sh-Sh-Shut…!" Roam tried to say, but he couldn't force the words out. He was boiling with rage. His fists tightened as he tried to fight the temptation to knock the sneering boy's teeth out.

Luckily, the escort saved him from doing so. "Hello everyone, and welcome to District 6's 43rd annual Hunger Games Reaping…" The bald man droned in a bored voice. "Before we start, I'd like everyone to take a look back at Panem's history…"

Roam immediately lost his grasp on the Reaping as his mind sprang elsewhere. He thought about the Games. He thought about Journey, and their anniversary date that was soon to come. He thought about setting up a trap for his bullies to fall victim to. His mind drifted all over the place. By the time they called the first name, he was busy wondering how hummingbirds managed to flap their wings that fast.

"Ember Font."

The name of the chosen female tribute snapped Roam back to reality. A tall girl with wavy blonde hair was detaching herself from the girls' section. Her gray eyes were wide with shock. Her nose was slightly upturned and Roam found this entertaining.

_I wonder how her nose got like that? Did she run into a wall? Or can something like that be passed down in your genes? Speaking of jeans, why is that girl over there wearing jeans? Doesn't she know this is a televised event? I hope the cameras don't focus on her. I wonder how much the cameramen get paid? And how many are there? Let's see, one, two, three, four…that guy over there has a funny face._

"Roam Ramble."

His insides froze up as he was seized with total shock. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. It was his last Reaping—he and Journey were going to celebrate this when it was over. They were going to eat at Le Stazione. This just had to be some sort of twisted dream. But the Peacekeepers that came and pulled him towards the stage were far too real. He stared straight ahead, avoiding anyone's gaze. His mind was racing with a million different things, overwhelming him until he thought he would explode…

_Journey, I'm so sorry! _He wailed inwardly, all of his thoughts combining into one grievous cry.

* * *

At first, Ember had felt shocked to hear her name read aloud to the world. But standing on the stage with the escort, she felt strangely calm. Like she could win this thing.

She didn't even feel nervous when she caught sight of the 18-year old that had been reaped. He appeared to have a healthy build and was pretty tall. He also had curly, jet black hair and brown, almond shaped eyes that shone with tears. His face was red, either due to the many emotions he was feeling at the moment, or his natural ruddy complexion.

_What a wimp. _Ember thought, her mouth curling into a smirk.

He reached out his hand and she took it, shaking hands just like the escort told them to. Ember's eyes bored into Roam's, her face full of determination.

_I'm going to win. And I'll kill you if you get in my way._

**Who's ever been asked by a lesser human being if they're mute? *raises hand* And it's like "Wow, you think you're clever or something? Because we're just all _so_ impressed. For your information, just because I have nothing to say to YOU doesn't mean I have nothing to say at all. Maybe you just don't deserve to hear the sound of my voice." Okay now I'm sounding like a combination of Seth and Saffron. I'm done here.  
**


	4. District Reapings 7 thru 9

**Since everyone keeps asking, yes, there will be a ball in this one. And an extra chapter in the hotel place. Also, Goodbyes and Train Rides may or may not be split up into two parts each. I know I'm really extending the Pre-Game stuff but there's kind of a reason for it. Besides, there's an even better cast of characters this time around so they deserve a bit more development before they die I suppose. I hope you guys don't mind.**

**On a side note, I finished writing my other Hunger Games today and commemorated the moment by drawing all of the characters in sidewalk chalk. Because I'm that hardcore.**

**District 7**

_Smack._

"Papa, stop it! You're hurting him!" Katya begged, catching hold of her father's arm and pulling on it.

He didn't respond, drawing it back to punch his son again.

"Stop it!" Katya shrieked as he let it fly.

The fist hit Ivan's cheek like a brick. He tried to not flinch. He really tried. But the reaction was automatic and he couldn't help but retreat a step.

"Vladimir…" His mother, Anna, murmured. But she wouldn't interfere. She was terrified of her own husband.

Vladimir shook off Katya and rounded on the two women. "He needs to learn how to be a man!" He declared angrily, spit flying from his mouth. "He's a disappointment to this family!"

"Hey everyone!" Natalia, Ivan's younger sister, came through the door looking quite cheerful, "Ready for the Reaping?"

Vladimir pushed past her and left the room without a word. She looked at the scene before her with wide eyes. Ivan was crouched in the corner, nursing a bloody lip. His left eye was blackened from his father's blows. Katya and her mother were averting their gazes, looking guilty.

"Aren't we going to the Reaping?" Natalia asked loudly, looking confused.

"Da." Ivan said quietly, trying to smile at his 16-year old sister. "Let's get going."

Trying to push away the pain, Ivan limped to his room to get ready. He put on a drab gray shirt and some slacks. He attempted to make himself look more presentable, but with his face covered in bruises, it was hard to do so.

Ivan was tall and big-boned, with some muscles. However, he had a baby face—with big blue eyes, high cheekbones, and a sweet smile that never left his features. It sharply contrasted with the bruises and cuts that covered his skin, making him appear more intimidating than he was. He also had medium length, dirty blonde hair and thick, dark eyebrows. Currently, there was a gigantic splotch of black and blue beneath one of his eyebrows, thanks to his dad.

When he was done with preparations, he waited by the door for the rest of his family.

Natalia was the first to join him, fussing over how cute he looked in his outfit. He tried to grin and bear it. She had a tendency to be rather annoying. Then Katya joined them, and he was grateful for her silent company.

"Thanks for earlier." Ivan said quietly.

She gave him a nod in response.

"Why? What happened earlier?" Natalia wondered, completely oblivious.

Their parents came walking out to join them, cutting off the conversation.

"Let's go." Vladimir said gruffly. Holding his head high, he led his family to the Reaping. They fell into step behind him, keeping their heads low and keeping conversation to a minimum.

When they reached the town square, Ivan and Natalia split off from the rest of their family to sign in. His father didn't say a word to either of them, but their mother and Katya watched them go with sad eyes. Katya had become ineligible for the Hunger Games as of this year.

Natalia chattered on about pointless things, while Ivan tried to maintain a smile. But he was currently drowning in a pool of his own misery. If only his parents hadn't come to Panem before the uprising occurred. They had come here from Mother Russia, hoping to find a new life. But instead, they found tyranny. And now their children were paying the consequences.

_Not that they care. _Ivan thought, thinking of his abusive father. He had always worked hard to preserve their Russian traditions, even teaching them the language. Because of this, Ivan spoke with an accent and bits of Russian would often seep into his conversation. His fellow classmates had dubbed him as an outcast due to his oddities. He had no friends.

He sighed inwardly. _I hate my life._

"Bye Ivan!" Natalia waved, looking way too happy to be there.

"Da svidanya." Ivan bid her farewell in their own language. He smiled kindly and went to stand with the older boys. Then the Reaping began.

* * *

"Excited for your first Reaping, Angela?" Oliver asked, arching an eyebrow at his sister.

"Oh, yes!" Angela clasped her hands, exclaiming with false excitement, "I just can't _wait _to stand around under the hot sun, waiting to see if my name will be chosen so I can have the honor of dying for millions of peoples' entertainment. It's like a _dream_!"

Oliver chuckled. "You always know what to say."

"Come on, you two." Their father said, smiling kindly, "Let's get this over with, huh?"

The three of them headed to the Reaping together. Angela's mother would not be joining them—she had passed away a long time ago, giving birth to Angela. The 12-year old girl had never known her mother, but she felt bad for taking her away from the rest of the family. Sometimes she could hear Oliver, who was 18, calling for Mother in his sleep. She'd lay awake and listen to him, trying to push away her feelings of guilt. Nonetheless, they were still a happy, loving family. They were well off, in a middle-class home, supported by their father who worked for a lumber company building houses. Oliver and Angela often helped out to earn their family some extra money. They were all very close.

Even when they arrived at the Reaping, she stayed close to them. Angela could see her friends from school milling about, but she preferred the company of her family. Her father wrapped his arms around each of them, holding them close.

"Be careful." He muttered quietly. "Come back safe."

"We will." Oliver murmured in response.

Angela didn't say anything. It wasn't like they could _control _who was reaped. If being careful got you a free ticket to living another year, that would be just peachy. But carefulness had nothing to do with it. _Great choice of words there, Dad. _She thought sarcastically.

Their father released them and they went to sign in. Oliver stood with Angela in her line. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Hey, are you a girl? Get in your own line."

"What, are you trying to get rid of your brother?"

"Only if my brother thinks I'm helpless and need help signing in. Go on, get out of here."

Oliver rolled his eyes and did as she said. She knew he meant well, but sometimes, he was just too darn overprotective. Both him _and_ Dad.

_I can take care of myself. _She thought haughtily, going to the front of the crowd, where the 12-year olds were located. Some of them had tears in their eyes. Everyone appeared to be nervous except her.

"Wow, isn't it a beautiful day outside?" She called cheerfully. Some of them turned and glared at her. Her lips curled into a mischievous smile.

Then the Reaping began. As the escort droned about the Dark Days and played some over-the-top video about it, Angela made sarcastic remarks to those around her. They didn't respond, trying to ignore her. Some had the gall to glower at her or tell her to shut up. But she just smirked and continued trying to provoke them for her own entertainment.

Then—

"Angela Pax Autumn."

Angela snapped to attention, her face filled with shock. She had been so absorbed in finding ways to entertain herself; she had completely ignored what was happening on stage. She looked around nervously, wondering if they had really called her name or if it had just been her imagination.

"Angela Pax Autumn." The escort repeated, looking around awkwardly.

"H-here." She replied. Her voice came out as a squeak. She moved slowly to the stage, as if in a dream. Once she was up there, she looked for her brother, standing at the back of the crowd. He looked horrified. His mouth was hanging open in shock.

_Don't you dare volunteer… _She thought, as she saw determination flood his expression, _If you volunteer, I'll never forgive you…!_

* * *

Ivan stared at the girl that had taken to the stage. Poor thing. She was only 12 and she was extremely tiny and thin. She was pale with jet-black hair done in a long braid that fell down her back. Long, choppy bangs hung in her face, which contained a slight dusting of freckles. She was currently glaring at someone in the audience with ice-cold gray eyes. She was glaring right at him!

But after a moment of consideration, he realized that she was glaring at the boy standing next to him. The young man's mouth was pressed in a thin line as he met the girl's gaze. He resembled her—perhaps they were siblings.

The escort moved towards the bowl that contained the boys' names. She reached inside and pulled out a slip of paper, clearing her throat to read it.

_If it's not my name, I'll never be eligible for the Hunger Games agai—_

"Ivan Kazankov."

A wave of emotions came crashing down onto Ivan. Shock, fear, sadness…and anger. Anger at the whole Hunger Games system, ripping apart families and killing their innocent children. But Ivan's face was devoid of emotion as he approached the stage. He scaled the steps and walked up to the little girl known as Angela. He towered over her, but she glared up at him as if to say, "I'm not impressed."

Ivan offered her a kind smile and her resolve seemed to soften a little bit. She reached forward and shook his hand.

**District 8**

"Today's Reaping day, Mom. I can't stay long, so I hope you don't mind if I talk fast…"

Hapi hesitated, recalling everything that had happened to him in the past week.

"Mr. Mizumi from the Capitol came by to see my masks again. Apparently, they're a big hit. Who knew carving these things for burn victims would've made me so much money? Of course, he always complains about the state the house is in. I guess that's to be expected…but at least I scrounge up enough money so that I don't have to work in the textile factory anymore."

Hapi smiled sadly.

"Well, I should go. I'll be back soon, I promise." He leaned down and pecked his mother's cheek.

She didn't respond. She never responded. His mother lay still in her hospital bed, eyes closed, barely breathing. She had been this way for five years, ever since that factory accident; it was a wonder that doctors had managed to keep her going. She was a medical marvel.

Hapi knew why she was still alive. It was because, one day, she would wake up. And they would be together again.

When he was young, in hard times, his mother always told him to "have faith." Everything would work itself out. He always remembered this about her, holding these memories close to him. He would hold onto his faith and tell himself that, one day, his mother would wake up.

"Keata, I'm home!" Hapi called, opening the door to his tiny house on the outskirts of District 8.

Rip! Rip! Rrrrip!

A skinny red fox was standing on his sofa, currently tearing it to shreds with her teeth. Next to her lay a dead rabbit, beheaded of course, with its entrails spread across the cushions.

"Keata!" Hapi cried out furiously. The fox looked up, her ears laying flat against her skull. Hapi glared her right in the eye, saying in a low voice, "Down."

The fox's fur bristled rebelliously, but she leaped off the sofa and dashed to hide in a corner of the room. Hapi approached the couch, grimacing at the little bunny corpse. "I see you brought dinner…"

Keata was Hapi's pet. Well, maybe that was the wrong word for it. Keata was still wild, but the two had developed a necessary companionship in the past few years. He had snuck out of the district to hunt one day, and she had followed him home, intent on stealing away with his well-earned squirrel. Hapi, lonely and on his own, decided to let the fox mooch off of him. After that, she came and went, taking his food as she pleased. Then one day, a mutilated mouse corpse appeared on his doorstep. Keata started catching her own food and bringing it to him as thanks. In return, he took care of her, cleaning up the wounds she sustained from hunters and traps. Sometimes, he even brushed her, if she let him.

Once in a while, Keata would disappear for days at a time, but she always came back, triumphantly entering the doggie door Hapi had built for her. Then night would fall, and she would be off to answer the call of the wild once more.

"I'll clean this up later." Hapi said, sitting on the floor next to Keata and pulling her onto his lap. "Are you going to let me brush you today?"

She gave a strange cough-bark in response. Hapi began to brush her pretty red fur, but she fixed her jaws around his arm and began to gnaw on it. Hapi worked through this for about thirty seconds before he finally gave in and released her. He headed over to his table and grabbed his carving knife, deciding to get some chores done before the Reaping. He set to work on his latest creation, a jewel-studded facial mold. Surprisingly, some Capitol dwellers preferred to alter their faces only temporarily.

When it was time to go, he grabbed the white button-down shirt he had laid out on his bed. "Keata…" Hapi grumbled, when he realized that a button had been chewed off. Keata came bounding into the room, eyes bright. "Don't look so proud of yourself." He showed her the shirt and she yipped, wagging her tail happily.

Hapi grabbed a tie and positioned it over the spot with the missing button. "There. I guess I'll see you later."

Keata leaped up onto his bed and curled up, emitting a long sigh and closing her eyes. He gave her a pat on the head. No one knew about her, so if he were reaped, no one would think to take care of her. But he wasn't worried. She could take care of herself just fine.

Right before he headed out the door, he realized that he had forgotten something. He rushed back into his room and grabbed a piece of paper—a letter—a folded it to fit in his pocket. _There._

Then, with one last glance at his beloved friend, he closed the door behind him and left for the Reaping.

* * *

Hera felt sick.

She hated going to the Reaping. It was bad enough that two people were sent to die every year. But why did it have to be a sort of social event too? Friends always met up with one another. They'd usually go out and do something fun afterwards, to celebrate the fact that they hadn't been chosen. But Hera wasn't welcome among their ranks.

Hera gazed at herself in a mirror. She had straight blonde hair and brown eyes that matched her pretty blouse. She was about average height with pale, freckled skin. But she was overweight. And the kids at school never let her forget this.

Her mother said they were wrong, that she was really quite pretty. Her father said they were just jealous because their families struggle to get food on the table. Neither of these consolations made Hera feel any better.

Her parents were talented doctors, so their family was well off. She and her brother Max had all of the food they could eat. But the same couldn't be said for the rest of District 8. Hera often saw thin factory workers shuffling to and from work. She would always feel guilty, but she never approached any of them. They too, would judge her.

"Come on, Hera, let's get going!" Her mother called from downstairs.

"Coming, Mom." Hera replied, feeling miserable.

The four of them walked to the Reaping together, making small talk as they went. Hera signed in and went to stand among the 15-year olds. She couldn't help but feel like everyone was criticizing her. She stood there with her head bowed, her cheeks bright red as the announcer prattled on about the usual stuff.

Finally, the escort drew the first name.

"Hera Sinclair."

Shock gripped Hera and she struggled to breathe properly. Tears ran down her face as Peacekeepers guided her to the stage. She sobbed freely, not caring that the entire nation was going to see this. She caught sight of her parents hugging one another and her little brother looking devastated, and she cried even louder.

The escort practically had to yell out the male tribute's name.

"Hapi M. Saltzman!"

Hera quickly wiped away her tears to see the one called Hapi. He appeared to be Asian, but his hair was a shocking shade of fiery red. He was thin and of average height. Everyone had turned in his direction, and he was standing there now, looking horrified. He tried to force a smile, but only succeeded in creating a whole new expression. A strange one.

Then he stiffly made his way to the stage. Hera sniffled loudly, wondering if he felt as miserable as her, but she couldn't tell. His eyes were dark and squinted, and his face was still twisted in that strange expression.

Nevertheless, she reached forward and shook his hand.

**District 9**

"Ahhh! I'm gonna be late!" Scarlet wailed, as she raced around her house, trying to prepare for the Reaping.

"What else is new?" Her sister said, looking highly entertained as Scarlet proceeded to flip out.

"Help me find my earrings, Marie!" She begged, looking hysterical.

"Calm down! It's the Reaping, not a date. You don't need to wear earrings." Marie laughed, but Scarlet was hurriedly brushing her choppy light blonde hair. She smoothed down her dress and looked at her sister with wide brown eyes.

"How do I look?"

"Beautiful, as always." Marie said, sweeping her up into a hug. "Now let's get out of here."

"Sorry. I just want to look nice in case the cameras focus on me." Scarlet apologized.

"You should hope they _don't _focus on you, lest you be chosen to compete in the Hunger Games." Marie replied, rolling her eyes as they walked out the door of their house.

Scarlet swallowed back a retort. Since the age of 6, she had been under her sister's care. Her parents had died of pneumonia, a terrible disease that had taken hold of District 9 many years ago. Of course, the Capitol took no action and many people died. Ever since, Scarlet had lived under the delusion that her sister would always be there for her—and be the one to volunteer for her in case she was ever reaped. But it was never to be. Her sister was 22, and her last year of eligibility had been a year before Scarlet turned twelve. Still, she couldn't help but dream that her sister would protect her.

Shoving away her feelings of guilt, she made idle chitchat with Marie as they walked to the town square. Once there, her friends from school began to approach her. Always full of energy, she was a social magnet.

"Hi Scarlet!" They greeted.

"Hey guys!" She said, smiling enthusiastically. She turned and gave her sister a quick hug, whispering, "See you later."

Then she went to join her friends and sign in.

* * *

Emmett was currently sitting on his rickety back porch, clutching a pencil and a sketchbook in his hand. His eyes flicked from the book to his backyard, as he drew the rolling grain fields of District 9. He could hear muffled voices behind him, coming from inside the house. The sound of his parents fawning over his brother, no doubt.

Emmett sighed heavily and kept drawing. Ten minutes later, the door behind him flew open. "Emmett! Haven't you been getting ready? It's time to go!"

"Sorry." Emmett apologized, shuffling inside.

"Why can't you be more like your brother?" His mother snapped, motioning towards Elias.

Elias was all ready to go in a slick white dress shirt, standing by the door.

Emmett looked away. "I was sketching. See?" He tried to hold his sketchbook up, but instead of stopping to admire his hard work, his father came forward and took it from him.

"There's no time. We should be going out the door right now." He said firmly.

"You'll just have to wear that." His mother added.

His father tossed the sketchbook onto a table while his mother pushed him out the door. As they walked to the Reaping, his parents completely forgot about Emmett and proceeded to tell Elias how handsome he was. Emmett walked behind them, his head bowed.

_I'm just not as good as him. _He thought, feeling morose. Everything Elias did was perfect, in his parents' eyes. He would never be better than his brother. Elias was practically his opposite: tall, blonde, muscular, and handsome. Emmett, meanwhile, was of average height and boasted a lean frame. He had dark brown hair and russet-colored eyes that greatly differed from Elias's bright blue ones.

As they approached the crowd that had gathered for the Reaping, Emmett straightened up and thrust out his chest, trying to appear confident. He joined his older brother in line to sign in, but Elias didn't acknowledge his presence. Emmett felt feelings of sorrow welling up inside him, but he tried to look nonchalant. Elias and him had always played together as children, but overtime he had grown colder to his brother. Slowly, they had drifted apart. Perhaps his parents were to thank for that. _Or maybe it's my fault. _Emmett thought, feeling hurt.

At some point, the announcer called them to gather in their respective sections. Emmett strode towards the section of 16-year olds, trying to appear confident. Then the Reaping began.

"Each year, we honor the Capitol by sending in one male and one female tribute to…"

Emmett zoned out while they rambled on about the Hunger Games. He wished they would get right to it. Finally, the escort drew the first name.

"Scarlet Kirkland."

Emmett blinked, surprised. He knew that name. Scarlet was in a few of his classes. She was pretty lively, always at the center of attention. A lot of guys liked her too. She instantly parted from the crowd and walked slowly up to the stage, flanked by Peacekeepers. Emmett couldn't see her expression until she turned around. Her eyes were wide and staring. Her usual cheerful demeanor was gone.

Up next, the male tribute. The escort wasted no time in pulling out the name.

"Emmett Bandy."

Emmett could feel his body shaking. Grief threatened to overwhelm him and he closed his eyes, holding back tears. In two seconds, his life had been torn away from him. Taking a deep breath, he prepared to walk towards the stage.

"I volunteer!" A familiar voice cried out.

Emmett couldn't believe his ears. "Elias?" He suddenly felt dizzy, as if everything were unreal.

Elias was striding forward. "I volunteer." He repeated.

"No!" Two adults shrieked in unison. Emmett spotted his parents, looking furious. "Elias, don't you dare! Let your brother do this. _He _was the one who was reaped." His father said firmly.

Elias paused, looking uncertain.

"Don't throw your life away for him!" His mother cried out, her voice edged with tears.

"Make up your mind." A Peacekeeper growled, looking at each brother in turn, "Which of you boys is it going to be?"

"Him! Emmett. The one who was reaped!" His father called, pointing to the 16-year old.

Emmett's heart fell. He wanted to just curl up and die. The Peacekeeper grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the stage. Emmett looked back and could see Elias melting back into the crowd. Obeying his parents just like the perfect son he was.

Emmett turned away, choking back his sorrow. He couldn't blame him. After all, _his _name had been called. He was the lesser son. He deserved to have his life taken away from him.

**I flippin' love Hapi. That's all I have to say. Just that I flippin' love Hapi. And his fox.**


	5. District Reapings 10 thru 12

**I drew the animals from both Games~ Go to my profile for the link!  
**

**District 10**

The coyote was steadily trotting up the hill, towards the herd of cows. As he neared his target—a defenseless calf—he crouched lower and lower to the ground. He paid no mind to the horse that was grazing nearby. But there was a girl sitting low over the horse with a gun in her hand.

_You're gonna get it this time… _Galloway thought, cocking the rifle.

The coyote's ears twitched, but otherwise, he didn't acknowledge the sound. He was too focused on his prey. For months, this brute had been coming in and trying to pick off their cattle. He had always come away unsuccessful…just as Galloway had come away unsuccessful after trying to shoot him. Frustrated, she had also tried trampling him into the ground with her horse and setting out poison for him. But he was a clever one.

_Now I've got you… _Galloway aimed, resting her finger lightly on the trigger. Suddenly, the coyote's ears turned towards her and his nostrils flared. She pulled the trigger, but he was already off and running for cover. The cattle mooed frightfully and began to stampede towards the barn. Galloway rode after them on her horse and closed them in for the day.

_Well…that's one way to round them up. _She thought, just as her father and two older brothers, Holstein and Angus, emerged from the house.

"Let me guess!" Angus called to her, grinning, "He got away again!"

Galloway didn't respond, riding her horse into the stables and demounting him. Her father popped his head in, telling her that she'd better hurry up and get ready for the Reaping. She acknowledged him with a nod, and went inside the house. She took a quick shower, cleansing herself of the stench of cow manure that always seemed to cling to her skin. As she pulled on a nice, fresh set of clothing, her eyes wandered to a photograph on her wall. It was of her, Holstein, Angus, her father…and her mother. They were pictured with one of their prize cattle.

_I miss you, Mom. _Galloway thought, her heart swelling with grief.

A few years back, her mother had consumed contaminated meat and contracted mad cow disease. It was awful. The disease had eaten away at her brain, slowly killing her from the inside. No one had been allowed to see her, not even her own family. Then one day, a doctor called their house, telling them that she had passed away during the night.

But life went on for the Ansons. They stuck to their jobs, raising their cattle to the best of their ability. Galloway enjoyed racing through the field on her horse, rounding them up. It was a pleasant job to have. And it took her mind off of more serious matters…like the Hunger Games.

* * *

"Hi Costa!"

"Oh! Hey, uh…kid."

Costa stared uncertainly at the 14-year old that had decided to take up residence next to him in the 18-year old section. He was of average height and build, with boyish sandy hair and big blue eyes that were full of innocence. His thick lips and small nose made him look even younger than he was. Costa thought there was something vaguely familiar about the kid, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it.

Apparently, the kid sensed Costa's uncertainty. "I'm Jarek! We stood next to each other in line for a few minutes at last year's Reaping. I was nervous, but you said everything was gonna be all right, and if I _did _get reaped for the Hunger Games, no one would stand a chance against me!" He thrust his chest out proudly.

"Um…okay, then?" Costa spared him an awkward wave, "Nice seeing you again."

Jarek beamed at him, but didn't move away.

"…Shouldn't you be in your own section, kid?"

"Why?" Jarek asked, his big blue eyes widening, "Don't you want me here?"

"Uhh…" The other boys were snickering as Costa searched for words.

"Look over there!" Jarek piped up, pointing to the section that was reserved for families. "That's my little sister. Her name's Dalia. Hi Dalia! Wave to Dalia, Costa."

"Hi Dalia." Costa mumbled awkwardly, raising his hand in greeting.

"Dalia doesn't really understand the Games yet," Jarek prattled on, "She's a good girl though. Except she can be really clingy. She acts like I'm the most amazing person in the world and sometimes it's just like 'leave me alone, kid!' Y'know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah. Kind of." Costa answered through gritted teeth.

Luckily for him, a Peacekeeper came along and shouted to Jarek, "Hey, kid! You don't look like you're 18. Why don't you stand in your respective age section like everyone else?"

"Oops! Sorry." Jarek said cheerfully, "Well, see you at next year's Reaping, Costa!" Then he quickly headed off to join the younger boys.

The older boys broke out into fits of laughter, pounding Costa on the back. He scowled in response. "Shut up."

"What's the matter, bro? Weren't aware that you suddenly acquired a little brother?"

Costa sighed, shaking his head. "_Man_, that kid is annoying."

Jarek joined his fellow classmates, grinning from ear to ear. _Costa is so cool! I hope I can be like him someday! _He watched the Reaping with interest, wondering who would be reaped this year. It was a shame that the two chosen tributes, Shem and Olivia, had passed away early in the Games last year. _If Costa is chosen, I bet he'll win!_

The absent-minded escort accidentally drew a male's name first. Then he dropped it with a loud, "Oops!" and shot over to the female's Reaping ball without reading the name. He grabbed a slip of paper from near the top of the bowl, clearing his throat.

"Galloway Anson!" He read out loud.

A thin girl of average height stepped out from the crowd. She had long brown hair and green eyes that were glazed with terror. But she kept a straight face as she walked slowly towards the stage.

Jarek could feel his excitement rising as they went to pick the boy's name.

"Jarek Damon!" The name rang through the silent square. Jarek's smile faded.

_Oh. _

_That's me._

Jarek could feel his heart drop. He looked all around him, his face full of disbelief. He never expected this to happen, That was for sure. He thought he had been too young to be reaped, but…apparently not.

An impatient Peacekeeper yanked him out of the crowd and gave him a shove in the direction of the stage. He began to walk towards it, when a high-pitched wailing arose from behind him. He turned around to see a little girl toddling towards him, her eyes full of tears. He could see his parents crying, further back. Perhaps Dalia understood the Games better than he thought.

"Don't go, Jarie!" She bawled, clutching at his pants, balling the fabric into her fists. "Don't go!"

A Peacekeeper bent down and pried her off. She shrieked a protest and cried even louder. Jarek watched her go with sad eyes.

"I waaant Jarieeeee!" She wailed, as the Peacekeeper forced her into her parents' arms. They tried to calm her, but her cries only grew in volume.

The escort hurriedly had Jarek and Galloway shake hands and led them from the stage, towards the Justice Building. Even as they left the Reaping behind them and entered into the silent building, Jarek could still hear his little sister's cries ringing in his ears.

**District 11**

Reaping day in the Sorna household was always pure chaos.

With two sets of parents, six kids, and one elderly grandmother, getting ready took all morning. Tiger-Lilly's house had burned down a little while ago, forcing her parents, her two younger sisters, and herself, to move in with her aunt and uncle. As expected of a family as large as theirs, they were dirt poor. But that didn't mean they were unhappy.

Tiger-Lilly hummed quite cheerfully as she helped her littlest sister, Maral, button up her shirt. Her parents were hurriedly trying to help out with her aunt and uncle's three children, while her sister Rose waited with her grandma.

"Tiger, I'm hungry." Maral whimpered, as her older sister brushed her hair.

"Me too." Tiger-Lilly admitted, "But we don't have anything for breakfast. Tell you what—we'll make it into a game. Whoever's tummy growls the most times wins."

"I'm going to win." Maral said, a smile slowly stretching across her face. Her stomach growled in agreement.

Tiger-Lilly chuckled. "Okay. You're all done here."

Maral skipped to go stand with Rose, who was ten years old. Rose was staring at Tiger-Lilly, looking concerned.

"You okay?" Tiger-Lilly asked, walking over to them. They still had to wait for their aunt and uncle to finish getting their own children ready. Raina, their infant, was currently crying her eyes out and refusing to calm down.

"Auntie told me about tesserae." Rose said quietly, "How many times is your name in the bowl?"

Tiger-Lilly's heart fell slightly at Rose's words. _Well, not like she can stay innocent forever. _"Thirty-three times."

Rose's eyes suddenly filled with tears. "…That's a lot." She whispered.

Maral looked at each sister, eyes widening.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Tiger-Lilly soothed, giving each of them a comforting smile. "I'm only 14. There are plenty of kids that have their names in it more than I do."

"…Really? You're telling the truth?"

"Of course. Why would I lie to you?"

That seemed to calm them a little bit. Finally, her aunt and uncle finished getting ready and it was time to move out. They walked towards the town square in one big pack. The little ones seemed unconcerned, running to and fro with wide grins plastered on their faces. Maral kept yammering about her stomach growling more than anyone else's, trying to get the other kids to join in her newfound game.

Meanwhile, Tiger-Lilly felt dread seeping into her own stomach. She was the only one eligible to be reaped, after all. Everyone else still had a few years to go. But she lifted her chin high and put on a brave face so that the children wouldn't become fearful. She was good at pretending to be something she wasn't. She was always playing pretend with the little ones, after all. In this case, she was feigning courage, when she would much rather have hidden in her house until the Reaping was over.

When they arrived at the Reaping, she embraced each of her family members and bid them farewell. It took a good few minutes, considering the size of her family.

Then she got in line to sign in. A lot of kids recognized her, most of them on the younger side of the spectrum. She was well known for entertaining them, whether she was in school or working out in the fields. She embraced her popularity and was glad to be everyone's friend.

She spent the rest of the Reaping playing games and telling jokes, until it was time to begin.

* * *

_Where is everyone? _Kalin wondered. The _one_ day he had woken up bright and early, and gotten to the orchard on time, everyone else had to be late.

"Hellooo?" He called out into the emptiness. "Anybody there?" A soft breeze rustled the branches of the trees as if in response. Kalin shrugged his broad shoulders. "Oh well. The Peacekeepers won't be too happy with them, that's for sure." Humming quite cheerfully to himself, he got to work on harvesting the fruit. In the mean time, he wondered if he'd get rewarded for coming to work when no one else did. His mind swam with all sorts of ideas. Pay raise, promotions, awards, recognition...

Then realization struck him like lightning. _The Reaping. _He gave a loud yelp, threw down the basket he was holding and just took off, sprinting for town square. All the while, he cursed himself for being such an idiot. Why _else _would no one show up for work? _A better question would be, how the heck did I forget about it?_ _Oh man, this is not good...no one's ever late for the Reaping!  
_

His chest heaved as he fought for air, but he didn't slow down. Thankfully, he made it just in time. The escort was calling for everyone to finish signing in and gather before the stage. Kalin slowed his pace, smoothing back his hair and trying to look nonchalant. As if he had purposely meant to come fashionably late and hadn't just sprinted from the orchard to the town.

"Kalin! You're late!" He heard a female voice exclaim.

Kalin spotted a group of his friends and walked towards them. He shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to look cool and unconcerned. But he couldn't hide the fact that he was slick with sweat, and his breaths were coming out uneven."H-Hey...everyone (pant) wh-what's up? (gasp)"

His friends were goggling at him. "Dude...what happened to you?" One of the guys asked.

Kalin grinned sheepishly, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Well, no use hiding it. "Yeah…I kinda went to the orchard this morning. My bad."

"You went to the orchard?" One of the girls giggled, "Why'd you do that? We get off on Reaping day, silly!"

Kalin grimaced good-naturedly. "Hey, don't poke fun! I go there every day. It was just out of habit." He ran a hand through his dark, shaggy hair, his emerald green eyes warm. The girl couldn't help but blush and look away. Kalin was tall, tanned, and stocky, yet very muscular. He was highly popular among the women of his district. And he knew it.

One of his male friends gave him a playful shove, but then the irate escort announced everyone to take their places for a second time. Kalin quickly went to sign in and stood among the 17-year olds. The guys around him greeted him warmly, reaching out to pat him on the shoulder. He was also aware of girls looking his way too. He couldn't help but look over and give a half-hearted wave in their direction. He grinned, amused at the muffled squeals that emanated from his little fan club. He wasn't trying to lead them on. He just wanted to be friendly. Everyone was his friend.

The bespectacled escort took to the stage and blabbered on about the tradition of the Games. Then she moved to the first Reaping ball to choose the name of the girl.

"…Tiger-Lilly Sorna."

Kalin swept his gaze over the girls' section and saw an extremely tiny girl emerge from the 14-year old section. She appeared fragile, and had to be a few inches less than 5 feet. She had a light chocolate skin tone and her long, jet-black hair was braided to one side. She glanced around, and Kalin could see that her brown eyes were wide with fear.

_She seems familiar. _Kalin noted quietly. Perhaps he had seen her at work. She was usually surrounded by younger children. He had never spoken to her before but her face was memorable.

He watched as she calmly walked up to the stage, holding her head up bravely. High-pitched wailing reached Kalin's ears. The cries of little children, no doubt those in Tiger-Lilly's family. And boy, were there a lot of them. But Tiger-Lilly didn't look back until she had reached the stage. Then she stood there, gazing at the crowd with calm eyes.

The escort congratulated her, and then moved across the stage to select the male tribute. She fished around in the bowl for a good minute, catching a slip of paper between long fingernails.

"Kalin Barry." She announced, squinting at the paper.

There were small groans from around him. Hands were reaching out, patting him on the back. "Sorry, dude." His friends murmured.

Kalin smiled and shrugged his broad shoulders. "It's all good." He waved an arm nonchalantly and headed on up to the stage. Behind him, silence. There was no wailing, no crying…no family to mourn him.

But Kalin felt no fear, sadness, or anything of that sort. He had come up with a plan, years back, just in case he was ever reaped for the Hunger Games.

Now, it was time to put that plan into action.

**District 12**

Beatriss could feel the cool handle of the knife in her hands. Even though it was dark, she could see perfectly fine. She could see the outline of her sleeping father, the faint rise and fall of his chest…the blood that stained his hands from the day's beating. Her blood.

She raised the knife, her hand trembling. Rage filled her stomach. _This is for all those years of abuse! _Beatriss screamed inwardly, plunging the knife into his heart. Blood spurted from the wound, coating the bed sheets with red. It spattered her face, warm and sticky. She tried to gasp for air, but her lungs filled with the vile stuff.

The room was filled with blood. She was drowning in it. She tried to scream, but no sound would come out. Pressure pushed on her from each side, until she felt as if she were going to explode. _I'm sorry…! _She tried to choke out, but it was too late.

Beatriss snapped awake, gasping for air. Her eyes were wet with tears and she hastily wiped them away. Then she rolled over, letting out a long sigh. Her eyes fell on the strange man that shared the bed with her. He was still asleep.

She carefully removed herself from the covers and tiptoed across the room to where her clothes were lying discarded on the floor. She quietly slipped them on, flinching when the man let out a loud groan and stretched his body. But he didn't wake up. Beatriss sighed in relief and continued to get dressed. She couldn't even remember the man's name. Of course, that was usually the case. When you slept in a different stranger's bed each night, all of their names blended together. As she slipped on her pants, she thought back to the dream she had. The one where she had killed her father.

_I'm not sorry at all. _Beatriss thought bitterly, _He deserved it. _

She had taken her father's life when she was only 11. He had abused her, physically and sexually, for as long as she could remember. He had seen her as some evil impurity for killing her mother during childbirth. But it wasn't her fault, of course. She would always scream how she didn't mean to, but her father beat her nonetheless, ignoring her cries for mercy. Then one day, after bottling up her hatred for years and years, she broke loose and murdered him.

Initially, she was stricken with guilt. She took to a secluded life on the streets, staying out of sight for fear that she would be discovered and have her heinous deed revealed. She lived off garbage for days. But then winter set in. Starving and freezing, she turned to prostitution. Her body was the only thing she possessed—and the only thing she could sell. It got her a warm bed to sleep in each night.

_Might as well grab my money and make a break for it. _Beatriss thought, crossing the room to where the stranger had left his pants. She reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet. Just as she was opening it, a deep voice moaned, "What do you think you're doing…?"

She nearly leapt out of her skin. The man had woken up and was looking at her with sleep-crusted eyes.

"I'm just taking what you owe me for my services." Beatriss told him in a quiet voice.

Now he looked angry. "Did I _say _you were finished?"

"No…"

He was getting out of bed now, towering over her. She backed away towards the door, dropping his wallet.

"What if I wasn't satisfied, huh?" The man went on, a vein throbbing at his temple, "What if you don't deserve my money?"

"Please…" Beatriss started to say, but he slapped her face, silencing her.

"You little thief!" He roared, "You're not even worth the dirt in my shoes. Get out of here before I show you what happens to little wenches who think they can steal from me!" He rattled off a few choice words as she fled the tiny house and took off running through the streets.

She hadn't gotten very far when she crashed into a throng of people. "Watch where you're going!" One snapped.

Beatriss looked around and realized that whole hordes of citizens were gathering in the square. "What's happening?" She wondered faintly.

"It's Reaping day." A girl that appeared to be around her age was looking at her with distaste. "Duh."

_Oh. _Beatriss had completely lost track of the days and hadn't realized that the annual Reaping was sneaking up on them. She followed the crowds to the town square to sign in, feeling morose. The Reaping was a waste of time. She needed to focus on surviving, on finding her next client so that she could scrape up money for food…

Beatriss quickly signed in and took her place in the section that was reserved for 15-year old girls. They seemed to part around her, looking disgusted. "Slut." She heard someone whisper from behind her. She turned around to see who it was, but everyone held an even expression. Before she had too much time to figure it out, the Reaping began.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to District 12's 43rd Reaping…"

It was always the same drill. They acted like it was some great honor to be sent off to die. Tributes from District 12 always went early. At least they got to escape from this crummy way of living…

_Escape. _The word resonated in her head.

"Now, this year's female tribute…is…" The escort reached into the Reaping bowl, about to pluck the first name.

"Wait." Beatriss called breathlessly, "I volunteer."

Everyone looked at her, confused, as if they didn't know whom she was or why she would want to volunteer. She walked towards the stage, keeping her eyes glued to the ground. Her face was devoid of emotion. On stage, she stared at the crowd with dead eyes. They stared back.

"Wow!" The escort exclaimed, "Another volunteer! Oh, it's just like last year! What's your name, darling?"

"Beatriss Thrett." Beatriss mumbled into the microphone. Silence followed her words. There was no applause.

"Wonderful! Let's see who our lovely boy tribute is for this year. That is, unless anyone wants to volunteer?" The announcer grinned, as if she had just uttered a very clever joke. Then she fished a boy's name out of the Reaping bowl.

"This year's male tribute is…Bentley Rivera."

* * *

_You've gotta be freaking kidding me._

A derisive laugh escaped Bentley's lips. "Again?"

His fellow 14-year olds stared at him, pitying him. He had been reaped last year too. Only his older brother, Carson, had been there to volunteer for him, although he didn't want him to.

Of course, Carson hadn't even made it past the first day of the Games. Hungover from a late night of partying and drinking, he stumbled away from the Bloodbath and into the city arena. There, he had passed out. The Careers had easily found him and chased him all the way to a ride with spinning horses—a carousel. Bentley had watched as the biggest Career, a male from District 2, slit his brother's throat.

Bentley's heart burned at the thought of it. He has discovered many things about his brother that year, including Carson's disgusting need for alcohol. It was his downfall. But at the same time, he couldn't blame his brother, for all that he had been through. But he swore to himself that he would never make the same mistake.

As Bentley scaled the stage, his eyes fell upon his female competitor. He had never seen her before now, and she was quite a sight. She was bedraggled and wore wrinkled clothes that obviously hadn't been washed for quite some time. She was small and thin, with a gaunt face and olive skin. She peered at him with sad brown eyes from underneath a curtain of long, black hair that was hopelessly tangled. She looked as if she had just climbed out of bed.

He reached out and shook her hand, not saying a word. She avoided his gaze. Then the two were taken into the Justice Building.

As he was led away from the stage, Bentley was surprised to find that he was not the least bit upset. Perhaps it was because he had experienced misery so many times in his life that this was nothing in comparison. Bentley had accepted that his life was doomed to suck. His father had died in the coalmines, and his brother had died in the Hunger Games. Now he would probably meet the same fate.

_Then again… _He thought grimly, a spark of determination lighting within his heart; _I'm not my brother. _

**Reapings are finished!**

**I realize we have a lot of socially challenged kids with daddy issues or dead parents. Perhaps I should change the title of this story to "Clash of the Socially Awkward Outcasts with Parental Issues."  
**


	6. Goodbyes Part 1

**Reapings, Goodbyes, and Train Rides for each tribute are all different lengths depending on how much I have to work with and how many come to say farewell.**

**District 1**

"Unhand me! I do not require your assistance to walk through a building!" Saffron snapped, as the Peacekeepers pulled him through the Justice Building and crammed him into a small room. There he sat, fuming silently over the treatment he had received. Then the door clicked open and in came his father. Of course, Mother was sick at home, and he never spoke to his brother…why would they show their faces now? It was to be expected.

His father looked him up and down, studying him. Then he spoke. "You are different from those peasants, Saffron. You were chosen from the day you were born. You must remain conscious of this."

"Yes, Father." Saffron replied, his voice level, his face emotionless.

"We are the chosen ones." His father went on, "It is our duty to guide the foolish common folk. You win the Hunger Games and you show them their place."

"Yes, Father."

"Every day, they live out their pointless lives, only concerned with their pathetic, frivolous…!" He trailed off, looking frustrated, as if he wanted to say more. His eyes were distant and showed slight traces of anger. But he looked back to Saffron, and his expression softened slightly. "They would die as miserably as they live."

"Yes, Father." Saffron agreed, filling the silence that followed his father's words. They had been through this speech many times before. But Saffron never questioned his father, and simply listened.

"Their very blood is tainted. Their world is not yours. You must never speak to them or associate with them—they are not worthy of your acquaintance."

"Yes, Fa…wait. If I'm not to speak with anyone, then how am I to form an alliance?"

"Have you not listened to a word I spoke?" His father replied, looking angry, "You want to form an alliance with those foul, miserable—"

"I do not defy you!" Saffron protested, "It's just…the Careers always band together and since I am considered to be a Career…" He faltered, afraid to go on. But to his surprise, his father seemed to take to his logic.

"Very well." He nodded, "You may use them to your advantage. But dispose of them when they no longer serve you well." There was a knock at the door and a Peacekeeper poked his head in.

"It's time to go." He told them.

"Very well." Saffron's father turned and walked out of the room. The door shut with a sort of finality to it.

"…Goodbye, Father." Saffron said to the empty room.

He sighed and sat down at the desk, burying his face in his hands. When would they take him away from this filth? As he wondered what the Capitol was like, the door clicked open again and his head shot up. His body stiffened and his eyes blazed with hatred.

"_Leave_." He hissed. "You have been instructed not to approach me."

"Is that any way to say hello to your own brother, mon amie?" Sage said, trying to look hurt, but his face broke out into a smile.

"My brother?" Saffron exclaimed, astonished, "You must be joking. You've never once been a brother to me!"

Despite his refusal to acknowledge it, Sage looked a lot like Saffron. There were only a few differences. Sage's hair was a slightly darker shade of blonde and shaggier than his brother's, as if he had tousled it to appear more rugged for the ladies. He was also a bit taller and he wore glasses.

"I've no time for half-breeds. Now get out! Your very act of speaking to me is an insult!"

"Wait just a second!" Sage protested, "Hear me out."

"Give me one reason why I should." Saffron said coldly, his eyes chips of ice.

"We're brothers. We share the same blood." It was an innocent statement, but Saffron's reaction was explosive.

"We do not share the same blood! I am a true, pure Le Bel! Father told me so…and you? You are nothing more than a mere mongrel!" He spat the word and it was full of venom.

"It's not about how pure your blood is—it's about how pure your heart is." Sage said, exhibiting an unusual show of wisdom.

Saffron narrowed his eyes. He wasn't buying it—Sage used lines like these to win girls over all the time. Before the boy could retort, a Peacekeeper appeared to let Sage know that his time was up.

"Au revoir, my dear brother! May our paths cross in a future brightened by our mutual brotherly love in which we—"

"You've made your point." Saffron said stonily, watching as his brother was pulled from the room. The door shut with a resounding click. Saffron glared at it, unforgiving. "…And for the record, I'm _not _your brother."

* * *

"Oh, good! You're finally here. What did you think of the Reaping? That fight with Posey wasn't too overdone was it?" Ravish asked as soon as her family came through the door. Her brown eyes were wide with concern.

Her father stepped forward and swept her up in a great big hug. "No, darling. Everything was perfect. _You _were perfect."

Ravish sighed in relief. "Good." She wanted to give the Capitol a perfect show. And of course, she wanted to win. That was more important than anything else.

"Just make sure you come home, all right?" Ravish was surprised to see that Allure, her older sister, was blinking back tears. She wrapped her arms around her in a comforting gesture.

"I'm certainly going to try my best. I promise you that." She said softly. She could see her mother starting to tear up and watched her father reach up and fiddle with his glasses, trying to hide his grief-stricken face. "Oh, come on! Don't start crying. Regardless of winning or losing, I'm proud to be able to represent my district in the Hunger Games. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I'd rather die in the pursuit of greatness than die without achieving anything worthwhile!" She said quite heatedly.

Her family's faces cleared and they put on fake smiles, trying to be happy for her. But it was obvious that they were still worried about losing her.

"Let's change the subject…" Ravish grumbled.

Desire was the first to speak up. "Oh, I know the male tribute! He's in my math class."

Ravish brightened with interest. "Really? What can you tell me about him?"

Desire frowned. "Um…he's kind of a snob. Usually he sits at the front of the classroom criticizing the teacher's methods."

"Well, I hope he and I can get along. I want this year's Career pack to be powerful and loyal to one another. Not like last year's. They were constantly fighting and pretty darn disorganized. There's no room for traitors in an alliance when everyone else is out to get you."

"Too true." Allure agreed with a nod.

The door opened, revealing a Peacekeeper. "Time's up. Let's go." He said sternly.

"Oh my goodness, already?" Her mother cried out despairingly. The Peacekeepers herded them out the door while she called to Ravish some last bits of advice. "Don't forget your training! Make sure you brush your teeth! And when you're in the arena, hydrate! Drink lots of water! You're going to be great, sweetie!" The door closed behind them and her voice faded down the hallway.

Ravish watched them go, waving and smiling. When they had disappeared, she lowered her hand and gave a light laugh. "I know."

**District 2**

Zane didn't have long to wait until Carter, Oreon, and his parents were led into his quarters. They were instantly upon him, hugging him and wishing him the best of luck.

"You guys aren't upset with me or anything…are you?" Zane asked, looking uncertainly at his two older brothers. After all, they had gone to the academy and trained alongside him. Of course, their training hadn't been nearly as intense and they had wound up as his sparring partners, if anything.

"Are you serious? Of course not!" Carter declared, "I was never interested in joining the Hunger Games anyways."

"Same here. It's always been _your _thing." Oreon shrugged.

Zane smiled. He was a different person in training. Brutal and vengeful, always focusing on perfection. But when he was with his family, he could be his normal, friendly self. _But this is the last time I'll be with them for a while…heck, this could be the last time I'll ever be with them period._

His mother's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "You're going to have a tough time with that Adrenaline character. She seems like a loose cannon."

"Yeah." Zane agreed. "But she doesn't stand a chance against me."

His father's eyes gleamed. "That's what we like to hear."

His family said their final goodbyes after that and Zane was left alone in the room. He lounged around, waiting for the Peacekeepers to come and lead him to the train. Instead, he heard some sort of commotion taking place down the hallway. He placed his ear by the wall and heard muffled shouts. Overwhelmed with curiosity, he tapped the door. A few seconds later, a Peacekeeper unlocked it, opened it a crack, and peered in.

"No need to worry, Mr. Ronan. The female tribute's just being a tad difficult, but everything should be sorted out in a moment." Then he closed the door, leaving the Career in isolation once more.

From the sounds down the hallway, it sounded like she was being more than "a tad difficult." _Yup… _He thought to himself, feeling a strange mixture of excitement and anxiety, _Definitely a loose cannon._

* * *

Adrenaline was dying of boredom, alone in her room. How long was she going to be trapped here? She pounded on the door a few times to let the guards know that this boring procedure displeased her, but none of them bothered to open it. So she decided to just mess up the room as punishment. She ripped picture frames and clocks off the walls; she flung chairs, scattered papers, and flipped over a writing desk. By the time her family showed up, she was trying to reach the ceiling fan and rip off its propellers.

"Mommy! Daddy!" She shrieked excitedly, abandoning her quest to demolish the room and running into their arms.

"Wow…" Her mother said, looking at the room with wide eyes, "You think they would have cleaned it up a little for us."

Her older brother Bronze and her little sister Graffti started going on about how cool Adrenaline had been at the Reaping. Adrenaline positively beamed.

"I know! Wasn't I great? I wasn't going to let _anybody _steal it from me this year!" Suddenly, she stopped short, listening. She could hear voices in the hall. Someone who sounded very familiar was chatting with one of the Peacekeepers…

"That sounds like Arrow." Her mother commented lightly.

"It is! Everyone out! I have to talk to Arrow!" Adrenaline screeched.

Her father frowned. "But honey, we still have a few more minutes to talk to you. Arrow's not going anywh—"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

Her parents wilted. "Okay, honey. Whatever you want." The four of them wished Adrenaline good luck, and tried to get in a few hugs, but she brushed them off, saying, "Yeah, yeah, I'll see you after I win the Hunger Games, okay?"

Finally, her family left and Arrow came in.

"Hey, beauti-!" Before he could say anything, Adrenaline had smashed her lips into his. He closed his eyes, reveling in the drawn out kiss.

After a minute, she drew back, gasping for air. "Gosh, I'm going to miss you! Make out with me until it's time for you to go."

Arrow was happy to oblige. They didn't even say anything, wrapping themselves around one another, their lips locked in an endless kiss. Suddenly, a Peacekeeper came through the door. "Hey! It's time for you to go!" He said angrily, prodding Arrow. Arrow ignored him, lost in the moment. The Peacekeeper grabbed him and pried him off of Adrenaline.

"What do you think you're doing?" She shrieked, when she saw the guard dragging her boyfriend away from her.

"You only get a limited time to say goodbye to your loved ones. Your time is up." The Peacekeeper said firmly.

"NO!" Adrenaline roared, springing forward. She grabbed her boyfriend's arm and pulled.

"This is ridiculous!" The Peacekeeper bellowed, holding fast, "Are you a child or aren't you? Let him go, right now!"

"You let go!" Adrenaline argued.

"Addy, baby, you're going to tear my arm off…" Arrow grimaced.

At his words, she let go and launched herself at the Peacekeeper, trying to get him off of her boyfriend. The Peacekeeper shouted, "Back up! I need back up!"

The struggle lasted about a minute. Then, two men were able to overpower Adrenaline and force her back into the room. Arrow was led away, calling over his shoulder, "I'll miss you, baby!"

Adrenaline shouted back at the top of her lungs, "Don't eye up any other girls while I'm gone or I'll rip your throat out!"

**District 3**

It took a long time for them to show, but Seth's parents were finally brought in by the Peacekeepers. Seth greeted them cordially—he was actually fairly excited to see them. Here, they could not ignore him. He would consume all of their attention.

"Oh, Seth." His father sighed wearily, "I'm so sorry this had to happen to you, son."

Seth could feel his insides fill with happiness. It seemed like an odd emotion to feel at the time, but his parents were talking to him! They were sorry this had happened to him! _This is the best birthday present ever…! _"Oops. I had forgotten that I've been chosen to compete in the Hunger Games…perhaps this isn't such a good present after all." He spoke the rest of his thoughts aloud.

His parents exchanged a confused glance.

"I'm just glad you're here." Seth could feel the corners of his mouth turn upwards. The smile felt strange on his face, as if it didn't belong there. But he couldn't deny the joy he felt at his parent's presence.

"Aren't you the least bit worried?" His mother questioned, looking at him as if something might be wrong with him.

Seth's smile vanished. His chin trembled. Today had just been one rollercoaster of emotions and it was starting to get to him. He wasn't used to feeling this way. Usually, his days consisted of little to no emotion, as he spent them lost in the stories of old Panem. "Yes…I suppose I am." He admitted, his gray eyes clouding with worry.

"Well…they won't be able to catch our speed demon."

Seth watched in wonderment as his parents smiled at one another and grasped hands. Their expressions held warmth, yet their words held a negative connotation. "You think I'm a demon?" Seth asked, feeling hurt, "But demons are supernatural, malevolent beings often prevalent in religious literature, known for their heinous deeds…!"

Once again, his parents stared at him, wondering what on earth their son had been doing with his life while they weren't watching.

"No, honey," His mother explained carefully, "It's a term of endearment. We've seen you run, and we've seen how fast you can go. In fact, I'll bet you're the fastest one there."

Seth blinked. "Oh." It was surprising to realize that his parents _did _in fact know something about him. He wasn't aware of when they could have possibly noticed this.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Time's up!" Came a bored voice.

"Good luck, dear!" His mother said, coming in to hug him. Seth's body stiffened up in her embrace as he wondered what sort of trickery this was. Then, before he knew it, they were gone.

_That was the most attention they've given me in years… _Seth thought to himself, _It was nice, but I'm glad to be alone again. It's nice to be alone._

* * *

"I suppose you're mad at me." Were the first words out of Baye's mouth when her father and her little sister entered her room to say goodbye.

"No, Baye." He said, smiling, "Only mad at myself. I can't help thinking that this is my fault. Maybe things would have turned out differently if we had stayed in District 4. Maybe you never would have had to enter the Games, and if you did, you would have at least had some training…"

Baye's throat tightened. She couldn't find any words. She would have rather had her father blame her instead of himself. "You did what you thought was right." She managed to force out, "We were miserable in District 4. Too many bad memories." She turned to look at Leighton. The little girl was glaring at the dusty floor, her eyes full of tears. "Leighton…" Baye started to say.

Her sister walked forward and wrapped her arms around her older sister, sobbing. "Just come back, okay?" She choked out. "I don't want to lose my mommy _and _my sister."

Baye's heart swelled with grief. "Okay." She promised, "I will."

Leighton drew back, wiping her face. "Say it like you mean it."

"I swear on my life that I will come back to you." Baye pledged.

"Cross your heart."

Baye crossed her heart. She felt silly, but she didn't say so. She knew how important this was to Leighton. Even then, she didn't seem satisfied, but at least she stopped making demands.

"Just do your best, Baye." Her father said, taking her face in his hands and kissing her forehead. "I'm so proud of you. Savannah must be so proud to have a friend like you."

_Oh, shoot. _It was then that Baye remembered Savannah. There was no way she was getting out of here without a lecture. _She's gonna be so pissed. _

Sure enough, she came storming in after Baye's family left. "YOU JERK!" She blasted in her face. "Why would you do that? Throw your life away for me? I didn't even want you to! Why wouldn't you listen? What am I gonna do if you…if you die?" Tears were running down her face. She reached up and hastily wiped them away.

Baye realized that she was crying too. She stepped forward and hugged Savannah. "It's too late to change things now." She said quietly, "I'm going."

"You just make sure to win!" Savannah cried into her shoulder, "Promise me that you'll win!"

"Okay, okay. I promise." Baye said for the second time that day. But she knew that it was a promise she couldn't hope to keep.

**District 4**

Dominic couldn't stop shaking. Even when his father came into his room and wrapped warm, comforting arms around him. He stared blankly past him, trembling, cold sweat running down his face. _I'm as good as dead. _He thought, over and over again, _There's 0% chance of me winning. I'm going to die._

His shoulder felt wet. His father's tears were dripping onto him. Dominic closed his eyes, trying to hold back his own. But he could feel them seep out and run down his pale face.

Suddenly, the door clicked open and in walked his mother. He stared at her, paralyzed. It had been a while since he had last seen her. Her face was grim, her mouth pressed into a thin line. Disappointment was clear in her eyes. Dominic's father turned around, glaring at her.

"Get out of here." He said in a quavering voice, "I want to be alone with my son."

"He's my son too." Dominic's mother murmured.

His father's eyes burned. "Don't be ridiculous. You've never cared a whit about him. It's always been about _you_. Making yourself look good. You're probably looking forward to all of the sympathy that'll be coming your way."

Dominic silently agreed, although he didn't say so. His mother didn't deny it, ignoring him and turning to her son. She held her arms out to him.

"Come here, Dominic. Give your mother one last hug."

_I don't want to. _Dominic thought, his throat closing up. He just wanted to be alone with his dad. And she was spoiling it for them.

"Don't you say things like that!" His father said sharply.

"Like what?" His mother echoed, looking confused.

"Don't you say…don't you act like he's not going to come back." His father's voice cracked. He covered his face with a hand and let out a single sob. It took all of Dominic's strength to keep from breaking down right then and there.

His mom's eyes were cold. "Why should I lie to myself? It's a wonder he's made it this far with _you _looking after him."

"You shut the hell up, woman!" Dominic's father roared, "You never did anything but make his life miserable! And now you—"

"Stop fighting!" Dominic choked out, "Please! I don't want this! Not now—"

"Now look what you've done! You've got him all worked up!" His mother accused heatedly.

His father was flabbergasted. "What _I've _done?"

"Stop! Just stop!" Dominic cried out weakly, but his parents were screaming incoherently at each other and his voice was lost. He cringed, covering his ears and sobbing loudly, but it was as if he were no longer there. Their screaming match was all that existed.

After what seemed forever, a Peacekeeper poked his head in. He had wide eyes. He had probably heard everything. "It's time to go." He told the couple.

Both of them seemed to realize why they had come. They weren't here to fight—they were here to say goodbye to Dominic. His father turned and grabbed him in another hug, looking desperately ashamed of himself. "Dominic, I'm so sorry…please forgive me…"

"Of course, Dad." Dominic sobbed, "Of course."

"Hey, didn't you hear me? I said it's time to go." The Peacekeeper repeated firmly.

Dominic's father released him. The Peacekeeper grabbed his arm and gently removed him from the room. Right before the door closed, his father looked back, his eyes shining with tears.

"I love you, son."

"I love you too, Dad."

* * *

Kelsea waited in her private room, bracing herself for what was coming. She knew her parents were really going to let her have it. But after they left, she knew Gillbert would sneak in to see her. As long as she clung to this thought, she could survive any slander they threw at her.

It didn't take long for them to show. She half-expected them to burst inside, screaming their heads off. But instead, they filed in silently, their expressions hard. They looked her up and down, saying nothing. Her 12-year old brother Dylan, however, was looking quite smug.

"You're gonna get in trouble…" He sang quietly, bright-eyed with excitement.

Her parents didn't even bother to silence him. Her father was the first one to speak. "I…am _appalled…_that you would throw your life away. We've raised you well. We've spoiled you silly, giving you everything you want, and then you go and pull this stunt. What. Were. You. _Thinking_?"

Kelsea, usually expected to hold her tongue and keep her head low in any situation such as this, lifted her chin defiantly. She gave a derisive laugh. "You can't be serious. You say you've raised me well, giving me everything I want, but that's for _me _to decide. And I say no. You _haven't_ given me everything I want. You're controlling and demanding. You've taken away my freedom, forcing me into a marriage I never asked for. You say I'm throwing my life away…but I'm merely throwing away the sorry excuse of a life you forged for me. It's time I start anew. It's time I take control of my own destiny."

Kelsea watched a parade of emotions flicker across her parents' faces during her speech. They were confused, hurt, enraged. At once, they were shrieking insults at her. They called her a petulant little brat, an ungrateful wench, and went so far as to disown her.

Their insults bounced off of her harmlessly. She knocked on the door, shouting, "We're done here!"

The Peacekeepers opened the door, their expression curious. "You still have a minute or two. Don't you want to say goodbye to your family?"

"They're not my family anymore." Kelsea said quite simply.

"Kelsea!" Her mother gasped.

"You said so yourself." Kelsea shrugged, "Now get out of my sight."

The Peacekeepers led her furious family from the room. Kelsea felt a sense of relief wash over her. That had been relatively painless. It didn't even hurt when they had screamed those many insults at her and disowned her like that. Well…maybe it hurt a little…

But then the door flew open and there stood Gillbert. Kelsea brightened immediately and threw herself into his arms.

"Is something wrong?" He asked sharply.

"Oh…you can always tell, can't you?" She said, her voice quavering ever so slightly. _Darn it. I hate my life here. Why am I full of this regret for leaving?_

But Gillbert didn't question her any further, holding her tight. For a moment, she wished she could stay that way forever…being slightly crushed by someone she loved. But of course, that was too good to be true.

"You'll be okay. I know you will." He sounded so calm and confident. He sounded so believable.

Kelsea snuggled into his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"If anything goes wrong…"

"Shh. Let's just enjoy this moment for what it's worth."

They held each other for the last few minutes they had. Then the Peacekeepers came in once again, to take him away.

"Kels…" He began, looking as if he wanted to say something more.

Kelsea smiled. This goodbye didn't need to be drawn out. They had said everything that needed to be said, in the time they had been together. "Goodbye, Gill."

The door shut behind him. She closed her eyes, feeling at peace. Any moment now, the Peacekeepers would take her away to board the train. The door opened, but instead of Peacekeepers, a young man stood in front of her. A young man with sandy blonde hair and sky blue eyes. His name was Orcan and he was the son of a captain. And he was her fiancée.

Kelsea could feel unspeakable rage bubbling up from inside her. She hadn't expected this. She wanted Gillbert to be her last visitor and leave District 4 with his image fresh in her mind. But now, Orcan was here to ruin everything. She couldn't help but glare at him.

He smiled wearily. "Hello, Kelsea. I didn't come to say goodbye. I came to apologize."

"Apologize?" Kelsea repeated in a low voice.

Orcan nodded. "I know you love that boy that walked out of here a few minutes ago. I've known for a while, actually."

Kelsea narrowed her eyes.

"I wanted to apologize for…" He searched for words. "My lack of action. I should have cut off the marriage. But I was just so smitten with you…I thought maybe I could win you over." He smiled sadly. "I was a fool."

This surprised Kelsea. She hadn't expected an apology. She looked deep into his eyes and could see how truly contrite he was.

"And, Kelsea…I'm so, _so _sorry that it took your volunteering for the Hunger Games to make me realize this. I wish things could have been different. I wish I had spoken up. If you die in the Games, I'll always live with this guilt."

_You're a good man, Orcan. I'm sorry I didn't realize that until now. I just didn't want anything to do with you. _Kelsea found herself wanting to say this, but she couldn't force the words out. Instead, she silently slipped her engagement ring off her finger and held it out to him. He accepted it graciously and tucked it away into his pocket.

"Thank you." Kelsea said curtly.

Orcan nodded, trying to smile at her. Just as he turned away, she could see a single tear drip from his chin. Kelsea suddenly felt the urge to say something more. _Don't blame yourself. It's my family's fault. Not yours. _She opened her mouth, trying to convey her thoughts to him, but the door had already shut behind him.

He was gone.

**District 5**

Luke was analyzing his possible escape routes. The door was locked and manned by two guards, so that was out of the question. But the room he was in held a tiny window that he could probably squeeze through. It was out of reach, at the top of the high ceiling, covered with dust and grime. Stale light from outside barely filtered in. Luke swept his gaze across the room. A desk and a chair was all he needed.

He tried to move the furniture as quietly as he could, picking it up off the ground so it wouldn't make any loud scraping noises. His back ached from having to do so, but he didn't want to risk the Peacekeepers hearing him. He positioned the desk beneath the window, and then lifted the chair on top of it. He nimbly climbed to the top, having lots of practice climbing on the huge machines that could be found in District 5's factories.

At the top, he balanced precariously, reaching up to fumble around for a lock. But he couldn't find one. Perhaps the window just wasn't meant to be opened.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened and in came his mother and two brothers. The sound surprised him, throwing him off balance. He flailed his arms, trying to get a grip on his surroundings.

"Lucifer Haze!" His mother shrieked quite dramatically, "What do you think you're doing? Get down from there before you fall and snap your neck!"

Luke managed to regain his balance. He hesitated to come down. _Well, not like escape was ever possible. Guards are probably positioned outside too. And even if I got past them, I would have nowhere to run. _So he sadly climbed down from his perch.

"Help me move these back." He told his brothers dully.

Without saying anything, they restored the room to its former state. Then Luke turned to face the sobbing mess that was his mother. Her worst fears were finally coming true. She was going to lose yet another man in her life, a mere two years after losing the first.

Luke comforted her the best he could, but he could feel sadness overwhelming him. His eyes welled with tears and his heart ached. He bid his brothers farewell and told his mother he would try his best to come home. They left looking unconvinced. He couldn't blame them.

Seized by a sudden fit of rage, Luke grabbed the desk and flipped it over with a loud crash. A Peacekeeper came in and grabbed him, dragging him out the door and down the hallway.

"Come on." He said in a gruff voice, "Let's get you outta here before you destroy the rest of the building."

* * *

Amara waited a long time for Cleo to show up. When she did, she came through the door looking haggard and defeated. Amara ran into her arms.

"I'm so sorry, darling," Her mother said in a tired voice, "The others weren't too happy with that hug I gave you. But I talked them in to letting me see you one last time before you go."

_One last time. _The words echoed in Amara's mind. "Mom…" She whispered.

"Shh…" Cleo soothed, "Everything's going to be all right."

"But it's _not_." She sounded like a child and she hated herself for it.

Cleo let go of her and drew back, staring into her adopted daughter's hopeless gray eyes. "You can't say that for sure." Her mother told her in a calm voice, "Everyone has a chance at winning…no matter how small it may be."

Amara shook her head. She didn't believe that for a second. Deep down in her heart, she knew this was the last time she would be speaking with her mother. She felt her goodbyes bubbling up on the inside. She wanted to tell her mother how grateful she was to her, for making her life into something special. She wanted to thank her for each walk they took together, each meal, and every kind word.

But she had never been very good at expressing herself. Her thanks died in her throat. The best she could manage was a simple, "Goodbye, Mom. I love you so much. Thank you for everything."

Her mother hugged her, kissing her forehead. Amara embraced the moment, swearing to herself that she would never forget it. Then her mother stood up, knowing that their allotted time was over. A different Peacekeeper opened the door and let her out. Amara watched her go, trying to push away her sadness. Cleo had given her a wonderful life. She had taken her away from the orphanage and its bullies. She had provided her with a warm home, food, and endless love. For that, Amara had to be grateful.

_And I'll show her just how grateful I am. _Amara thought, a fierce determination suddenly taking hold of her, _I'll win the Hunger Games. I'll do whatever it takes! And then I'll come back to her._

**District 6**

Roam was so unhinged; he could barely speak to his family. For some reason, he kept trying to apologize, even though it wasn't his fault. But he just kept stuttering, barely able to form words. He was a mess. His mother and father sat on either side of him, trying to soothe him. Their bodies were close to his, but he felt no comfort. He just stared blankly at the wall, muttering how sorry he was. His brothers could stand it no longer and worked their arms around him. The four members of his family were hugging him, but Roam still felt cold.

"Everything's gonna be okay, everything's gonna be okay…" Trip whimpered, and Roam could hear the pain in his voice.

Otto was just spitting out what he thought to be survival tactics. As if he thought if he gave his brother good advice, then maybe he'd stand a chance of returning. "Try and join with an alliance, okay? Set some traps like you've been practicing. And make sure you ration your food…" He went on and on, his voice breaking in places. Roam stared at him, uncomprehending.

Finally, the Peacekeeper appeared to take his family away. They tearfully bid him farewell as they were led out the door.

"…!" Roam tried to force out a goodbye, but no words were summoned. He couldn't even say goodbye to his family.

He buried his face in his hands, feeling like he wanted to scream. A million thoughts were rushing through his head. Overwhelming him, choking him, killing him…

"Roam!"

Roam's head shot up. He had been so far gone that he hadn't even heard the door open. "Journey!" He cried out desperately, as if she could free him from this terrible fate.

She dashed across the room and practically fell into his lap, sobbing.

He ran his hand up and down her back, resting his cheek in her soft, thick hair. He was suddenly at ease. Even in his current situation…Journey still made everything better.

"Roam, I love you so much…" Journey cried, her body heaving with sobs. Her pretty face was stained with tears. "I'm so sorry we won't be able to celebrate our anniversary."

Roam thought about a future he had imagined many times. He and Journey getting married. Having kids. As they had grown up together, that future had seemed more and more obtainable. But just like that, it had become impossible.

"You're the love of my life, Journey…" Roam whispered, "Never forget that. But one day, you'll have to let me go. Just try not to feel too bad about it when you do."

Journey looked at him, shocked. "How can you say that?" She wailed, "How can you talk like…like you're already dead?"

_Because I am. _Roam thought hopelessly.

She buried her face into his chest, hugging him tighter. "You _have _to try to come back! You have to!"

"Okay." Roam said sadly, "I'll try."

She lifted her face to his and kissed him on the lips. It was a long, passionate one. Roam could feel warmth flood his body. His lips tingled and he found himself hungering for more. He wound his arms around Journey, pulling her closer to him. He could feel her tears wetting his face, but he didn't even care.

Only when he heard a gruff voice declare, "I hate my job. It's time for you to go, kid! Come on!"

Roam suddenly felt the urge to attack this guard, but Journey slipped her hand into his and squeezed it. Her met her eyes.

"I love you, Roam." She murmured.

"I love you too, Journey." Roam whispered back tearfully.

And just like that, the love of his life was gone.

* * *

"I can't believe this. You're not the least bit afraid?" Ember's dad was staring at her as if she were off her rocker.

Ember lifted her chin proudly. "Nope! I'm going to win!" She declared.

He shook his head in disbelief. "Weren't you even paying attention all those years they made us watch the Hunger Games?" He asked, his voice rising. She reveled in his frustration.

"No, of course not." She rolled her eyes to emphasize the sarcasm.

He just stared at her blankly. "I can't believe this." He muttered a second time, "You're serious."

"Yup! Wanna know how I'm going to do it?" Ember smirked.

"Sure…" Her dad sighed, looking defeated.

Her grin widened. "Too bad! You're just gonna have to find out for yourself."

Her father narrowed his eyes. "How did you get to be such a brat?" He growled.

"I guess it has something to do with the way I was raised." Ember winked at him.

"Well, now that you're through pushing my buttons, can I get a goodbye?"

"Why do you want to say goodbye? Stupid old man. If anything, you should be saying 'see you later.' I'll be back before you know it!"

Her father just grimaced and shook his head. Then he exited the room, before the Peacekeepers even showed up to tell them that their time together was over.


	7. Goodbyes Part 2

**I'm gonna try to space out the updates a little bit more, which will be hard for me because I'm so addicted to getting reviews. Usually I'm a few chapters ahead on the writing part, but for once I'm only two chapters ahead. XP Probably because I'm still writing out plans for the Games I guess. Although there is a basic plot and a victor and all that picked out, I need to find more things for some characters (especially loners!) to do.**

**District 7**

"Well, it's a shame you were reaped, and on your last year too." Vladimir said gruffly, standing with his arms folded, leering down at Ivan. Ivan didn't meet his gaze. "If only you were more of a man. Then you'd actually have a chance at winning."

Ivan's head whipped up, his eyes blazing. He bit his lip, trying to contain his anger. But then he suddenly thought, _Why shouldn't I tell him what I think of him? This is probably the last time I'm ever going to see him…at least, that's what he thinks…_

"Why do you always say that I'm not a man?" Ivan rose to his feet, glaring fiercely at his father. "Why do you think I'm a disappointment to this family? Is it because I'm not like _you_?"

Vladimir looked taken aback for only a moment. Then he flared up, his face so enraged that his facial hair seemed to bristle. "Da! You're just too soft!"

"Oh yeah? So what, you're saying I should drown myself in vodka every night? That I should take my anger out on _them _like you do?" He threw his hand out towards the three women, huddled in the corner of the room, looking fearful.

Vladimir was turning extremely red in the face, he was so furious. "How dare you!" He roared, "I've made this family into what it is! I've preserved our Russian heritage!"

"You're telling me THIS is Russian heritage?" Ivan pointed at his blackened eye. "Well I've had enough of it!" Seized by fury, he brought his fist back, prepared to smash it into his father's face. For all those years of abuse, to both him and his mother and sisters.

But Vladimir was quick. Before Ivan could even touch him, he caught the fist in his own hand. With a great heave, he hurled Ivan clear across the room. The boy crashed into the table, landing in a heap on the floor, stunned. Silence filled the room. Only his father's angry panting and Natalia's sobbing penetrated it.

"Papa, don't!" Katya cried out, as her father stepped forward, glaring down at Ivan. He opened his mouth to say something, but a Peacekeeper poked his head in and saw what had happened. He shouted an alarm. Two other Peacekeepers joined him and they were instantly upon Vladimir. "What do you think you're doing?" One demanded, restraining his arm.

"Let me go!" The bearded man spat.

"Under no circumstances are you allowed to harm a tribute!"

"Okay, okay, I _got _it." Vladimir snarled, "Now let me go! This is the last time I'm going to see my son!"

"Nyet. Don't let him go." Ivan said, shakily rising to his feet, "Just take him away."

Vladimir's face filled with disbelief. And something else. Was that a flash of regret he saw in his father's eyes? _Well, it's too late to right your wrongs now. _Ivan thought angrily, watching with a blank expression as they pulled his father from the room. He turned to look at his mother and sisters.

Anna's mouth was pressed in a thin line. Her eyes were cold.

"Is something wrong, Mum?" Ivan asked quietly.

"He may be cruel," She said in a trembling voice, her eyes brimming with tears, "But he's still your father, and I love him—just as he loves you." She turned towards the door and left the room without another word.

Ivan realized he was shaking. "Yeah, well he has a funny way of showing it." He retorted.

Katya and Natalia stepped forward and wrapped their arms around him. Ivan's heart welled with sorrow. He closed his eyes to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill over.

Only a few seconds passed, and then the Peacekeeper appeared to let them know that their few minutes together had run out. Just before they parted, his sisters bid him farewell in their home language. "Da Svidanya." They said to their brother.

He smiled. "Da Svidanya."

* * *

"I'm dead. I am freaking dead. I'm not even gonna make it past the Bloodbath—scrap that, I probably won't even make it past training. Heck, I'll probably die before the chariot rides even get started." Angela was just staring at the wall, going on and on about when she would die. Her brother and father just stood there, looking extremely upset.

"Come on, Angela…" Oliver said, squeezing her shoulder, "Stop talking nonsense. You're scaring us."

"Scared? I'm not scared." Angela said faintly, turning to stare at her brother. "What makes you think I'm scared?"

Her father and brother exchanged a glance.

"I'm _not _scared." Angela repeated, more firmly.

"No one said you were." Her father told her gently.

She looked at them with sad eyes. Oliver moved in and held her tight. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." He said roughly, his voice edged with tears.

Angela vaguely recalled the Reaping. How he had looked so determined to volunteer after she had been reaped… "I'm glad you didn't." She said quietly, "I didn't want you to."

"I could tell by the way you were looking at me." Oliver explained, "And I stopped to think about it too. If we went in together, both of us would probably end up dying. And I wouldn't want to leave Dad all alone." He turned and smiled at his father, who smiled back.

"Angela…I have a feeling you can make it back." Her father told her quite seriously, "I know your mother is looking out for you. She didn't die for nothing…and she won't let you die for nothing either."

Angela felt overcome with emotion. She tried to laugh it off, but the sound that came out of her mouth sounded more like whimpering. Her father swept her into his arms. It was in his tight embrace that she realized she was shaking. Her skin was cold and clammy. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to slow her pounding heart.

_I'm not afraid…I'm not afraid…I'm not afraid…!_

**District 8**

Hapi had been left alone in the room of the Justice Building for a long while. He sat slumped in a chair, feeling very depressed. No one was going to come say goodbye to him. A small part of him believed that his mother would suddenly awaken and come flying into the Justice Building, demanding to see him. Or maybe Keata would sneak her way in, looking for her lost companion. But of course, one could only hope…

Click.

Hapi's head shot up as the door creaked open. _Mother? _He dared to think.

No. It was a man. He bore no resemblance to Hapi, except for his matching mop of fiery red hair. The man's face was tired and sad. Hapi recoiled, springing out of his seat. He glared at his father, saying nothing.

"Oh, come on son." His father sighed wearily, "Can't you just leave everything in the past? What's done is done."

"How can you say that…?" Hapi murmured, his voice filled with a quiet rage. His fists were clenched at his sides, shaking ever so slightly. "Mother's not _the_ _past_. She's alive and yet you still left her!"

"Your mom's been in that coma for _years_, Hapi. I waited for her—I really did." His eyes were apologetic, but Hapi wasn't buying it. His father disgusted him, how he had just abandoned his family.

"If you truly loved her, you would have waited longer than two years. You would have waited your whole life for her to wake up, instead of running off with that other woman."

His father's eyes narrowed, anger sparking in their depths. "You're only 17! What do you know about love?"

"More than you, apparently." Hapi said quite dryly.

His father looked as if he wanted to argue. But then he remembered why he had come. He wanted to reconcile with his lost son. He wished Hapi would just drop the subject so that he could get on with it. Taking a deep breath, his father said sternly, "Well, that's not the point…Keata is _never _going to wake up. You need to stop chasing the illusion that she's coming back."

Hapi's entire body was shaking. A mix of anger and sadness washed over him. It pained him to hear his father call his mother by her true name—instead of the many endearments he always saved for her. Now, she was nothing to him. But she didn't deserve that. It wasn't _her _fault she was in a coma. His mother's words echoed in his mind…_have faith. _Hapi reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter. He held it out to his father.

"What's this?"

"I may not come back…" Hapi spoke in a level voice, staring over his father's shoulder at the wall, "But make sure you give this to Mother when she wakes up."

"Oh, son…" His father moved in to give him a hug, but Hapi backed away, glowering at him. His father sighed and took the letter. "All right. Try your best to come home safe, okay?"

Hapi didn't respond. His father emitted a loud sigh and turned to leave. "Just know that you're my son and I love you." He said quietly, without turning around. Hapi still didn't say anything. He closed his eyes and listened to the satisfying sound of the door closing shut behind his dad.

_You've lost your faith, Dad. But I haven't. Mother will wake up…and I will win the Hunger Games so that I can be there for it. _

* * *

Hera was a mess, blubbering incoherently as tears poured from her eyes. Her parents tried to console her, but she just wailed louder. Her brother Max was staring at her, horrified.

"I've-I've n-n-never even held a knife before! I-I don't know anything about weapons! And I…I could _never _kill another person!" She buried her face into her mother's chest and just cried her heart out.

Silent tears ran down her mother's face as she stroked her daughter's hair. "Oh, honey…" She whispered, "I love you so much."

"We all love you." Her father agreed, his voice full of grief.

"You don't have to win." Her little brother said quite suddenly, "You just have to survive."

Hera turned to look at him, but her tears blurred his shape. "What do you mean? They're the same thing!" She choked out, feeling hopeless.

"No they're not." He insisted.

"You're being ridiculous." Hera scoffed.

Max opened his mouth to argue, but his parents quieted him, telling him to come say goodbye to his sister. He obliged, but Hera was considering what he said. _Perhaps he means that I don't have to run around trying to kill people to win. I can just hide and try to survive. And maybe, just maybe, I'll stand a ghost of a chance._

**District 9**

Emmett didn't want to see his parents ever again. He felt awful. He always knew they preferred Elias to him…but he never could have hoped to imagine _this_. The door opened, and Emmett glared up at his mom and dad. How could they even show their faces to him after that stunt?

"Emmett, we're so sorry that happened to you…" His father began hesitantly, "But you _were _the one who was reaped, and it's only fair that you should have to compete, not Elias."

Elias was standing behind his parents, hanging his head, avoiding his brother's gaze.

"Don't try to justify yourselves," Emmett said in a monotone voice, "You don't even try to hide the fact that you love Elias more than me."

"Well, then what would have you done if we _hadn't _said anything?" His mother snapped.

Emmett stared at his brother. Elias slowly met his gaze. His eyes were sad. Emmett felt a glow of warmth—it was nice to see that he still cared, even after all these years. "I wouldn't have let him." He whispered.

His father nodded. "And there you have it."

"That still doesn't make up for what you did, Dad!" Elias flared up quite suddenly, taking everyone by surprise. "So stop acting like you're not the bad guy in this situation! You too, Mom!"

"Honey…" The tone Emmett's mother used with Elias was much different. It was gentle, holding all the love in the world. "We just want what's best for you."

"Well what about what's best for Emmett, huh? You think he has what it takes to win the Games?"

A long silence followed his words.

"Well…there's your answer…" Emmett said quietly.

Elias grimaced. "Emmett, I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it."

Even though Emmett felt a despairing amount of hopelessness, there was still a spark of determination that came from within him. He wanted to prove to his parents that he was worthy of their love. To show them that they could be proud of him, just like Elias. But could he do it? Could he really hope to win the Hunger Games…? After all, victory only came to those that were willing to kill. And if he did what was required of him to return home, would that really make his parents proud…or would it disgust them?

* * *

Scarlet sobbed into her hands as she waited for Marie to come say goodbye to her. For some reason, she kept wondering why her sister didn't volunteer for her. Then she had to remind herself, _You're not a child anymore. She can't protect you. You're going into the Hunger Games._

The door opened and Scarlet peered up at what she thought was her sister. Blinking back tears, she realized that it was a young man from school, who was constantly teasing her. One of his friends was currently peeking around the door, looking as if he didn't want to come in.

"Hey Scar…" The boy started to say, but Scarlet was instantly on her feet.

"Get out!" She yelled, "I don't want to see anyone but my sister!"

"But-!"

"Leave!" She shrieked. Her hands searched for something to throw, but the boys were already retreating out the door, their faces full of shock. Left alone once more, Scarlet felt instantly calm. With a clearer head, she wondered why they had come. They were mere acquaintances in school. She had no connection to them. So why…?

A knock on the door. Scarlet perked up, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her sister. Instead, a few of her girlfriends from school filed in. They looked at her with sad eyes and told her how sorry they were. Scarlet sat there, feeling glum, nodding her head and sighing at appropriate times. But the truth was, she was barely even listening to them. She just wanted to see her sister.

Then, she heard the sound of her voice on the other side of the door. She looked at her friends, knowing that she couldn't kick them out as she had done to the boys. So she said in the politest voice she could muster, "I'm sorry, girls. I just want to be alone with my sister right now. You understand, don't you?"

"Oh, of course, Scarlet. We completely understand."

Scarlet smiled. This was why they were such good friends. "I'll miss you." She told them truthfully. They said goodbye and parted as quickly as they had come. A few seconds later, Marie finally came inside to see her. She held open her arms. Scarlet practically threw herself into the embrace, fresh tears running down her pretty face.

Marie held her close and stroked her hair, soothing her. Scarlet suddenly felt six years old again, having just woken up from a nightmare. But this was worse than any nightmare she could dream up.

"Oh, Scarlet, I would switch places with you if I could…" Marie sighed, her voice tinged with regret.

"I know." Scarlet whispered. She tried to search for words that would express how much she loved her sister. How much she owed her. But her body felt swollen with grief. She couldn't think of anything to say.

"You'll be okay." Marie murmured.

Scarlet pulled back, searching her sister's eyes to see if she was telling the truth. Her face was grim, but her eyes were hard. As if she truly believed her sister could win. Her next words were rather surprising though…

"Make sure you be nice to Emmett."

"Emmett?" Scarlet echoed, looking confused.

"The male tribute. I know I never told you this, but…I'm dating his older brother."

"What? Why didn't you ever tell me? I'm your sister, Marie…!" Scarlet felt hurt for some reason. She and her sister shared everything.

"Well, he's kinda four years younger than me…"

"Four years younger than you? What are you, a cougar?"

Marie looked annoyed. "See, this is why I didn't tell you. The older you get, the less age matters, just so you know."

Scarlet suddenly recalled the Reaping. Marie was dating the boy who had volunteered for Emmett. Okay, she had to admit he was good-looking. But how could her sister have hidden this from her? She recalled what she had said. _Be nice to Emmett. _"Wait…so when you say 'be nice to Emmett' you're really saying 'Don't kill him, lest you ruin my relationship with his brother.'"

Marie didn't say anything. Her guilt-ridden face was enough.

"I can't believe you." Scarlet said, shaking her head. "You shouldn't have said anything about it at all."

"I'm sorry." Marie apologized.

Scarlet let out a long sigh. "It's okay. I'll forgive you…but just because it's your boyfriend's brother doesn't mean I'm gonna be best friends with the guy. Got it?"

"Got it." Marie smiled sadly. "Good luck, sis."

"Thanks. I'll need it."

**District 10**

Jarek huddled in the cold, dusty room, waiting for his family to come see him off. He held himself, rocking back and forth and shivering. His big blue eyes were dilated with terror. He never imagined that this would happen to him. It always seemed the sort of thing to happen to someone else. _But I guess we're all someone else...to someone else. _

After what seemed like hours, his parents were let in. Their faces were bleak. His mother carried Dalia in her arms. Her face was screwed up with tears. She had been crying this whole time. Her mother put her down and she toddled over to Jarek, climbing into his lap. He hugged her close to him, trying to put on a smile for her sake.

"…Mommy says you going away." She said, sniffling. "But I don't want."

"Oh, Dalia…" Jarek sighed, "I don't want to go either."

"Then why you going?"

He glanced at his parents, eyes pleading for help. His mother moved in, putting a comforting hand on both her son and her daughter. "He has to, baby." She explained gently, "He doesn't have any say in the matter. He was chosen."

Dalia's eyes were wide with confusion. "Do I have say?"

Her father smiled sadly. "No, honey. None of us do."

Dalia looked at each of them, her lips puckering in a pout. Fresh tears welled in her eyes. "But you coming back? Right?" She turned to her brother and grabbed his hair in her little fists. As if she could somehow force him to stay with her.

"I…maybe…" Jarek searched for words, "I'm gonna try, but I might…" He sighed. Dalia was looking at him with such hope. "I might…miss you a lot." He finished lamely. Dalia snuggled closer to him, holding him onto him tightly. His parents joined her and they stayed like that for the rest of the time they had, exchanging goodbyes and 'I love you's.'

Then the Peacekeeper told them it was time to go. Jarek's mother gently took Dalia out of his arms and into her own. But the little girl didn't protest. Her lip was trembling fiercely, but her face was clear. "Bye-bye, Jarie." She said quietly as her parents carried her out the door.

He lifted his hand and waved to her, trying to smile. "Bye-bye." He said softly, as the door closed behind them.

* * *

Galloway just stared quietly at the floor as her father and brothers tried to make her feel better. But their words did little for the amount of despair she felt. She had resigned herself to the fact that she was going to die.

"Galloway, you have great aim with a gun! If you could-!"

"No, Holstein." She spoke drearily, "They don't have guns in the Hunger Games. Everyone knows that. Otherwise, the Games wouldn't last past the Bloodbath."

"Then use a bow and arrow, or something! Or grab a knife!" He exclaimed, "Just make sure you get _some _kind of weapon!"

Galloway ignored him, thinking, _I can't even kill a stinking coyote. How am I gonna kill an intelligent human armed with a dangerous weapon?_

"Galloway, you may not think you stand a chance, but I know you'll do what it takes to get home! Most of the tributes are pansies, anyways. And the Careers will probably end up offing one another. If you can just stay out of the way…" Angus trailed off at the blank look Galloway sent him.

"I'll probably be the first one to die." She said faintly.

Her father shook his head angrily. "Stop it, Galloway! You don't know that! There are 12-year olds in the Games. The odds may not be entirely in your favor, but I'll be darned if I just sit here and listen to you talk about…!" His voice gave out at the end of his rant and he dissolved into tears.

His children looked at him sadly, their eyes tearing up as well.

"I just don't want to lose you…not after losing your mother so soon…" Her father rasped, brushing at his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Dad." Galloway apologized, lowering her gaze. "I'm sorry I said those things. But I promise, I'm going to try my best. Just like Angus said…I'll do what it takes to get home."

**District 11**

Kalin swam in a pool of his own memories as he waited to be taken away from his confinement. He felt a flash of regret that his parents were not here for him, but he was used to being on his own. Whenever he wasn't in school, he was working in the orchard. Whenever he wasn't in either, he was collapsed at home, sleeping off another tiring day.

Of course, even though he managed fine without them, he still missed his parents. They were kind people. His father had always worked so hard to keep food on the table. But he was unsatisfied with the meager pay his job had to offer. He wanted to go above and beyond for his wife and only child. So he resorted to stealing whatever he could. He got away with it a few times…but then they caught him. The Peacekeepers were merciless that day. They dragged him to the town square and put a bullet in his head for everyone to see. Kalin watched it happen.

Not long after, his mother committed suicide. Kalin thought seeing his father die before his eyes would end up being the worst thing he would ever experience. But finding his mother with the bloody knife in her dead, white hand was even more terrifying…

He often wandered why his mother left him like that. Didn't she care about her son, too? He preferred not to think about that. He pushed these thoughts away. Instead, he smiled and told jokes. He focused on the present and forged many friendships with those around him.

And those friends were currently flooding into the room to tell him goodbye. His male friends gave him a number of man-hugs, apologizing over and over again how sorry they were that this had happened to him. The girls were a little more tentative, looking at him with tear-filled eyes. One completely broke down and confessed to him, telling him that she always liked him and how she wished she had told him sooner.

Kalin just smiled wearily, telling her how sorry he was, and not to worry about it. She gibbered something incoherent in response, and her friends hugged her. Finally, the Peacekeepers came in and herded the crowd out of the room. Kalin felt thankful to watch them go. There was only one person he truly wanted to see right now.

He waited for her anxiously, praying that she would appear. They weren't extremely close, but every day, they worked alongside one another in the orchard. They would talk as they worked. He would listen to her stories and she would laugh at his jokes. His heart would beat faster every time she looked at him with those clear blue eyes. But at the end of the day, they were only acquaintances. He never saw her outside of work.

_I guess I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up… _His heart fell slightly as he realized that she wasn't coming. _It was silly of me to think she would show up._

He pushed her from his mind, as the Peacekeepers appeared to lead him to the train. Excellent. He couldn't wait to meet Tiger-Lilly. He had much to talk about with her…

* * *

Tiger-Lilly's entire family burst into the room at once. The room was filled with an overwhelming amount of yelling, crying, ranting, and tears. Tiger-Lilly threw her hands over her years and shrieked, "Calm down! Just calm down!"

Everyone obeyed except Raina, the littlest one, who was crying even though she had no idea what was going on. Rose was the first to speak. "You said you would be fine!" She exploded, tears streaking down her face, "You promised!"

"I never said that." Tiger-Lilly said calmly, "I said there were plenty of kids that had their names in there more times than me. But, it just turned out that the odds were more in their favor than mine…"

Maral was staring at her in horror. "What are we gonna do without you?" She whispered in horror.

Tiger-Lilly grabbed her sister and held her close. "You'll be fine." She smiled.

Her mother flung her arms around her oldest daughter, choking with sobs. Tiger-Lilly could see her dad turning away and wiping his face. Her aunt and uncle were holding one another. Her grandmother was stony-faced, but her eyes shone with tears.

Tiger-Lilly could feel her heart burning with anger at the thought of having this loving family ripped away from her. "There's no way I'm going down without a fight," She said in a deadly voice, "I'll show those Capitol pigs that I'm not just another 14-year old that's gonna die in the Bloodbath. I'm gonna try to _win_."

"You're so brave…" Maral whimpered.

_No, I'm not. _Tiger-Lilly thought in response, _Inside, I'm a terrified child who just wants this to be over. But for you, and the rest of my family, I'll pretend to be brave. Because I don't want to see you worry about me._

It seemed far too soon when a Peacekeeper appeared to let them know their time was up. Instantly, every member of her family was trying to get their hands on her to fit in one last hug. Their voices blended into one giant, "Goodbye!" as Peacekeepers came in and shoved them out. Tiger-Lilly raised her hand in farewell, etching this moment into her mind as they left.

The door shut. A minute later, it reopened and the same Peacekeeper appeared again. He grabbed her arm and led her out into the hallway, saying, "Come on. It's time to go."

They left the Justice Building and got into a car, which drove straight to the train station. The ride was short. As Tiger-Lilly got out of the car, a tiny roar went up from the crowd that had gathered to watch her departure. She could see the children from work jumping up and down, cheering for her. "Go Tiger-Lilly!" They shrieked in high-pitched voices. "Win for District 11!"

She couldn't help but smile a little bit, even as they shoved her onto the train. The doors closed behind her and she was left alone. She turned and looked out the window as the train took off. A few little ones ran alongside it, waving to her. Then the train picked up speed and left them in the dust. The town disappeared behind them.

Tiger-Lilly stepped away and headed into the cabin. There sat her fellow tribute, Kalin. His eyes brightened at the sight of her and he rose to his feet, offering his hand to her. He towered over her, but his face was open and friendly.

"Hello, Tiger-Lilly. It's nice to finally meet you. Come on…we have a lot to discuss."

**District 12**

Beatriss remained impassive as they took her into the Justice Building and showed her to a room. She sat down in a chair, knowing that no one would come to see her off. For a few minutes, she sat in total silence…

Then she buried her face in her hands and just started screaming. She screamed until she ran out of air and then screamed some more. The whole time, she wondered, _When did my life get so messed up that I had to turn to the Hunger Games as an escape? Of all things! The Hunger Games! I never did anything to deserve this. Why is my life such a living hell?_

Her screams dissolved into sobs that racked her whole body. She sat there for a long time, just letting misery take its course. Her breathing came in shaky gasps. Tears made trails on her dirtied face. The sound of the door opening broke her out of her stupor. She looked up at who had entered, wiping her nose and eyes.

"Who are _you_?" She managed to choke out.

A girl who appeared to be about her age was standing before her. She was looking at Beatriss with cold, judgmental eyes. Something about the girl was vaguely familiar, but otherwise, Beatriss didn't recognize her. The girl pursed her lips, as if searching for words.

"…You could have been so much more." She finally said in a soft, sad tone of voice.

Beatriss just stared at her, at a loss for words. "…What?"

The girl turned and left as quickly as she had come.

"Wait! Who are you?" Beatriss called after her, "Why…?"

But the girl was gone.

* * *

Bentley had been in this room before. It was a year ago, when he was saying goodbye to Carson. Sitting here now, he could feel anger take hold of him. If Carson had never volunteered, he would still be alive. Bentley acknowledged that he would have died in last year's Hunger Games if Carson hadn't done anything. But now, it was all for naught. He was going to die anyways.

"Why did you have to _do _that?" Bentley demanded in frustration. He voice echoed emptily through the room. Carson wasn't here, but he knew what his brother would say. He said it in this very spot, a year ago.

"_I already told you. You're my little brother and it's my job to look after you. That includes taking your place in a life or death situation."_

"I wouldn't have blamed you if you had done nothing!" Bentley went on, his voice rising in volume. He knew Carson couldn't hear him, but that didn't matter. "If it's your job to look after me…well, then you shouldn't have died!" He snapped angrily. "You shouldn't have gotten wasted the night before the Games!"

He knew he sounded ridiculous. But he had been holding this in for a year. He wanted to scream at Carson for leaving him. Tell him how much he missed him. But his brother wasn't coming back. He was buried in the cold ground of District 12, and that was where he would stay.

"_Darn _it." Bentley held his head in his hands. He felt dead tired. He just wanted to curl up and go to sleep and never wake up.

"Bentley…" His mother had come into the room, looking haggard. His 11-year old brother, Ronnie, was in tears. They never could have dreamed that they would be going through the same thing a year later. Their goodbyes were much like last year's, except Bentley was on the receiving end this time.

"I'll miss you, Ben." Ronnie whimpered, embracing his brother tightly.

"I'll say hi to Carson and Dad for you." Bentley said, returning the hug. He didn't even pretend he was going to win.

After they left, Bentley's mind drifted back to the previous year. He could see Carson looking at him with his deep brown eyes, slightly hunched in his seat. He looked so much like Dad. And Bentley could see himself too. Younger, shorter before his growth spurt. His dark brown eyes blazing with accusation as he gazed upon his brother.

"_Someday…I'm gonna be as strong as you."_

That's what he had said, his voice shaking only slightly. He had lifted his head high, trying to appear brave. And Carson had smiled at him, as if nothing were wrong. But Bentley could see the grief that shone in his eyes. He then pulled his little brother into his arms for what was the last time. And he said:

_"No. You're going to be even stronger." _

**I know the pattern goes boy girl boy girl, but I really wanted to end with Bentley there. In other news…**

**I put the first poll up! Now that you're done reading the goodbyes, head on over and vote for the Jerk Dad of the Year! These daddies have all been trying their hardest to be total d-bags and they need your vote. So go on over and vote for who you think deserves the award for Jerk Dad of the Year!**


	8. Train Rides

**Woo long chapter! And the chariot rides come after this, yay! **

**Remember how in the 42****nd ****Games I forgot to get outfits and angles? Well, now I need training scores and what skill they choose to show off! Yeah, I decided to include that stuff this time around. So make sure you PM me a score estimation (may or may not be used) and what skill they show to the Gamemakers (just pick one, please. Katniss and Peeta each did one, and so will they.). Also, if you want any points covered in the interview, make sure to say so because the interviews are tough to write.**

Score Estimation:

Skill:

Interview Ideas:

**District 1**

When Ravish came into the train, Saffron was already there. His eyes fell upon her and a scowl immediately appeared on his face. Ravish rolled her eyes. _Does he always have something to be angry about?_

"Hello." Saffron said quite coolly.

"Hey." Ravish greeted, "So…Career alliance?"

Saffron gave a curt nod.

_Wow. That was easy._

A few seconds later, a door slid open and in came one of their mentors. Channa. The victor of the 42nd Hunger Games. Immediately, both Careers tensed up and glared at her. Channa narrowed her eyes.

"Well…I can already tell that _this_ is gonna be a fun year." She said sarcastically.

"Hello Channa." Ravish said icily.

"Ravish." Channa frowned, "I guess I should have expected _you_ to be here."

Ravish didn't care much for her new mentor. As far as she was concerned, Channa was a lot like Posey—snobby, cliquish, and overly concerned with her social status. She had many past encounters with Channa, both at school and in training. She never worked hard, always flirting with the male trainees. And yet, somehow, she had won the Hunger Games. Like everything had just been handed to her. Ravish envied her for it.

"So…what advice do you have for us?" Ravish asked, trying to push away her misgivings.

"Well…" Channa said slowly, pressing her lips together, "I really just wanted to meet you guys, but I suppose I can offer a few tips beforehand and we can get into it more later."

"So get on with it." Saffron said haughtily, crossing his arms and glowering at Channa.

She let out a loud huff. "First things first, you'll want to form a strong alliance with the other Careers. Stick by someone you trust, but make sure not to get too close to them. After all there can only be one winner." Her eyes became clouded with memory. "Why, if not for Hip, I—"

Saffron gave a derisive laugh. "Hip Hoprock? Why do you speak of that feral?"

Channa's eyes widened furiously. Before she could retort, Ravish interrupted.

"You knew Hip?"

"Of course. Unfortunately, he was in the same grade as I." Saffron grimaced in disgust, "His filthy flirtations sickened me to no end." But when he thought of Hip, an image of Sage appeared in his mind. Men who toyed with women's emotions for their own pleasure were no better than dogs. He wanted nothing to do with them.

"I've heard a lot about you from my sister Chardonnay." Channa said, her voice filled with a quiet fury. "Saffron Le Bel, the swanky aristocrat who thinks he's hot stuff. Well guess what? You're no better than the rest of us." Channa flipped her hair behind her back and turned to leave. Right before she went out the door, she paused and looked at each of her pupils. "Here's another important tip for you. Sponsors. You'd better come across as being pretty darn likeable if you want to come out of this alive. And so far…you're doing a pretty poor job of it." Then she left, slamming the door behind her.

Ravish turned to Saffron, feeling an unusual sense of camaraderie with him, over their shared detestation of Channa. But even though she wasn't her number one fan, she knew that their mentors were the keys to their survival. "I know you don't respect Channa, and I couldn't agree with you more, but she _is _our mentor." Ravish reminded Saffron; "We should probably try a little harder to get on her good side, if we want to last longer in the arena."

"Hmph!" Saffron said quite pompously, "Forgive me, Blackwell, but I hesitate to agree with you. We saw her capabilities quite well in last year's arena. Do you mean to say that we should respect and obey her simply because she holds the title of mentor?"

Ravish stared at him blankly. "Well _yeah_. Even if she _did _come out of last year's Games with only two kills, she still holds an important position. She's going to get us sponsors. I don't like it anymore than you do, but we should still be respectful towards her."

"I refuse to listen to the words of a foul-blooded mongrel." Saffron scoffed.

Ravish leaned in dangerously close, hissing, "I sure hope you're talking about her and not me. But just so you know, we're all from Panem. We're all of the same blood!"

Saffron looked highly offended. "Do not mock me! I am French. And I am of the purest blood!"

"Oh." Ravish leaned back, "Well, it's not like anyone can tell. You don't even have an accent. But don't worry, I'm sure if we cut you open, we would be able to tell if your blood is pure…"

"Please cease speaking to me." Saffron said, in an odd, high-pitched voice, "I am extremely affronted."

"No problem." Ravish smirked, "I'll deal with you later."

Saffron gave a dramatic sigh and slumped in his seat. "It's going to be a rather long ride, isn't it…"

**District 2**

As soon as he sat down, Zane was accosted by Adrenaline. She sat herself in his lap, throwing her arms around his neck. "Hey there, partner." She said in a seductive voice, batting her eyelashes and breathing into his face.

"Get off of me!" Zane snapped, shoving her away.

She leaped to her feet and stood there, looking confused. "…Huh?"

"Oh come on," Zane growled, "You can't fool me—I know you have a boyfriend, Adrenaline. Don't try to pull that crap on a prospective teammate."

Adrenaline narrowed her eyes. "Fine." She drawled, plopping down in her own seat and looking extremely grumpy. Zane couldn't help but feel some satisfaction at ruining her little plan. He would definitely have to keep tabs on this one…

"Okay, let's not get off to a bad start." Zane said, mustering the friendliest tone he could, "We're both probably going to wind up in the Career alliance anyways."

Adrenaline stared at him with wide eyes. "I can see why you want me on your team…after all…" A slow, sadistic smile spread across her face. "I killed someone."

Zane narrowed his eyes. Okay, so he had never killed anyone, but that didn't automatically make her better than him. Zane had witnessed Adrenaline's attack on that poor girl, and it was closer to an accident than a straight-up murder. All she did was give her a little push and the fall did the rest. Zane wasn't impressed.

"I'm the best of the best!" Adrenaline bragged, filling the silence, "If anyone defines the word 'Career,' it's me!"

Zane gagged, but it went unheard. Then he told her, "How about showing a little humility, huh? Don't you want the others in our alliance to like you?"

"They'll like me once they see how amazing I am!" She smirked, feeling highly superior. "I can't wait to meet our fellow Careers…especially the _men_!" She licked her lips, as if she were looking forward to eating them rather than meeting them.

Zane was feeling extremely exasperated. Districts 1, 2, and 4 usually teamed up. It had practically become tradition. And Zane was completely okay with that. He wanted to join the Careers, but with this girl tagging along…well, things were bound to be interesting.

"Adrenaline…" Zane tried to speak with a firm tone, but at the same time, he didn't want to make his district partner angry, "I know you're fairly excited to…work your magic on some sort of male victim. But you shouldn't be trying to trick your own teammates. If you're going to do that, at least try to be savvy about it…" Zane frowned, thinking of the District 2 girl from last year. She hadn't been very loyal either, and had wound up killing one of her own.

Adrenaline let out a loud groan, rolling her eyes. "Okay, _Dad_."

Zane sighed, knowing that she wouldn't listen to him. "Please just consider what I said, okay?" He tried to sound polite, but he knew he was failing.

His district partner didn't acknowledge him. She swiveled around in her seat, tucking her knees in towards her chest, so that she faced away from him. But she wound up in a very uncomfortable position sitting in the chair like that. She managed to stand it for a few seconds before jumping to her feet and angrily declaring, "I'm hungry!" Then she stormed off to find food, slamming the door dramatically on her way out.

Zane just shook his head. _Great. Just great._

**District 3**

Seth and Baye sat apart from one another on the train. They were both quiet, reclusive individuals who preferred to avoid contact with strangers. But when the escort appeared to turn on the recap of the Reapings, they wound up next to each other, observing their competition.

Baye was watching the Reapings of Districts 1 and 2 with interest. During their own Reaping, she turned to Seth. "I think I'm going to join the Career pack." She told him.

He squinted at her as if she might have a screw loose. "…Why?"

"Why not?" Was Baye's answer, "They're the strongest of the tributes…they usually take over the Cornucopia, so if I went with them, I'd be well off."

Seth's scrutinizing gaze was making her wish she hadn't said anything at all. He was clearly judging her. "Past tributes from Districts 1 and 2 are known to be fickle and bloodthirsty. Your chances of survival among their ranks would be 0%."

_You have such a funny way of talking. _She bit her tongue, unwilling to make an enemy of her district partner. "You don't know that." She told him.

"Well, let's compare and contrast the aspects of their personality that we've observed to far." He gestured to the TV, "Ravish Blackwell attacked Posey Gardenia for the spot to compete. She seems to be the ambitious type that would happily sabotage her competition. Saffron Le Bel appears to think he's better than everyone else and should prove to be very frustrating to deal with. Adrenaline Rush struck me as a tad bit demented, and they mentioned that she murdered someone when going over her background. As for Zane, no one volunteered after he did. Obviously, he must have skills because no one dared to challenge him. The Career pack is filled with bloodthirsty behemoths."

"…You…remembered all of their names…" Baye breathed in amazement, "You must have a pretty good memory on you."

Seth shrugged.

"Er…I mean, I don't think they're monsters. They were just raised differently from us. You shouldn't judge them."

Seth narrowed his eyes, but didn't respond. The TV was now showing the District 4 tributes. Baye watched what could be her future allies taking to the stage. She tried to get a good read on them as Seth did. _Kelsea Cutthroat. _A slight chill ran up her spine when she saw her, _She seems cool. Dominic doesn't look like much of a fighter, though. I can't wait to meet everyone!_

Suddenly, she was aware of Seth looking at her with stone cold eyes. She turned a bit pale, wondering what he was thinking about.

"I highly doubt that they will welcome someone from District 3 into their ranks." He said, as if he had read her mind.

Baye swallowed back a retort. _Maybe not. But then again, I'm not _from _District 3. _

**District 4**

"We need to talk."

Dominic jumped in his seat and turned to face Kelsea, his district partner. Her eyes were dead serious. Dominic suddenly had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Okay. What about…?"

"Are you planning to join the Career alliance?"

Dominic couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. She was obviously sizing him up. And when it came down to it, he wasn't a very impressive competitor at all. "I guess? I hadn't really thought about it…" He mumbled.

"Don't." She said in a stern voice, "You're just dead weight. You obviously haven't trained and none of the others will want you. You tried to run when your name was called. Also, I noticed you have a slight limp."

Dominic's eyes widened hurtfully. "Th-that's not true!" He protested.

Kelsea looked at him inquiringly. "What's not true?"

"Yes, I haven't had any formal training, but I've still trained. With a bow and arrow. I'm really quite good." He lowered his eyes, feeling worthless. _How could you just come out and say that? You don't know me at all… _He thought sadly.

Kelsea narrowed her eyes. "Well, maybe you can prove yourself in training. For now, you're too much of a liability."

"I'm sorry, but why do you keep saying that?" Dominic challenged, with a burst of assertiveness, "I know I don't look very strong or fast. But you just so blatantly decided I was useless before knowing anything about me."

"Because I do know about you, to a certain extent." Kelsea said coldly, "I hear people talking about you at school. How you're always absent and that you're so sickly. I don't know what it is you have, but I don't think you'll last two seconds after the gong rings."

Dominic looked away. So the whisperings of his sickness had even reached this cold, apathetic girl…

"What is it that's wrong with you, anyways?" Kelsea asked sharply.

Dominic hesitated. She would never let him join if she knew. Would it be better to lie? But by the way she was looking at him, he knew he couldn't avoid telling her the truth. "Okay…I'll tell you. But you _have _to promise to keep it a secret."

"Fine. I will." Kelsea said.

Dominic searched her expression, trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. But her face betrayed no emotion. He just had to hope for the best. So he took a deep breath, leaned forward, and whispered it into her ear. Without saying anything, she stood up and left the train car. Dominic's heart fell. He inwardly cursed himself for saying anything at all. _I should have lied! I should have refused to tell! _

A few minutes later, while he was still beating himself up over it, Kelsea reappeared. She was holding a steaming cup of tea, sipping from it coolly. She strode across the room to stand in front of him. There, she leaned against a chair, staring down at him over her drink. Dominic swallowed nervously and met her gaze. A long silence passed between them. Then, Kelsea spoke…

"I'll stick to my word. I won't tell anyone. But you still have to prove yourself to the rest of the Careers. If they accept you, then _I'll _accept you."

For some reason, Dominic felt dizzy with happiness. "Th-thank you…" He stammered out. She ignored him, moving across the cabin to sit farther away from him. They didn't speak for the rest of the train ride.

**District 5**

Luke was staring out the window, thinking of all possible scenarios that could unfold in this year's Hunger Games. Of course, it all depended on the arena. The Head Gamemaker liked being over-the-top and making things as dramatic as possible. No doubt the arena would be elaborate. _Or maybe not… _He thought, _Maybe it'll be the opposite of what we're expecting._

"Hello." Came a quiet voice. Luke turned to see his district partner, the 15-year old girl with the black hair. There was a light smile on her face. She seemed nice enough.

"Hey." Luke greeted her coolly.

"Are you okay?"

The question took Luke by surprise. "Well, yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" He answered.

"Because you just got reaped for the Hunger Games."

Luke could feel his nerves starting to act up. All of his sadness and anger came rushing back to him. But then he told himself to stay calm. He had already evaluated his chances of success and told himself that his odds weren't too bad. He was smart, athletic, handsome, and on the older side of the spectrum. He was a lot better off than most of the other tributes. "Well, aside from that, I'm fine." Luke told her.

"Okay," She said kindly, "If you need to talk out your feelings, I'm here. I'm a pretty good listener." Then she sat down a few seats away from him and began fiddling with her hair.

_Men don't need to talk out their feelings. _Luke snorted inwardly. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Amara."

"I'm Luke."

Amara smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

"That Peacekeeper hugging you. What was up with that?" Luke asked, overwhelmed with curiosity.

Amara stiffened up ever so slightly. "Oh…that was my m-mother." It hurt to talk about her. And it hurt to see the coldness that seemed to sweep over Luke. His gray eyes seemed to harden and his mouth pressed together in a thin line. "Peacekeepers are people too!" She burst out before she could stop herself.

"I didn't say anything." Luke said flatly.

Amara lowered her head, suddenly feeling like she was back in the orphanage, an outcast once more. _You might as well have. _His body language had said it all. Luke didn't say anything after that and neither did Amara. She kept to herself, feeling way more upset than she should have been. Not even an hour in and she had already gotten off on the wrong foot with one of the tributes.

_I hope the other tributes will like me… _She thought wistfully, staring out the train window, at the blurred landscape of District 5.

**District 6**

"Hey. Sup?"

Roam looked at Ember with a panicked expression. Oh no! He had been hoping that she wouldn't talk to him. He was in no mood to chat. In fact, he probably couldn't have talked even if he tried. He just nodded at her in acknowledgement.

"What's your name again? Jerome or whatever?" She drawled.

Roam was finding it hard to focus on what she was saying. But he managed to splutter, "Err—Roam."

"Oh." Ember said in a bored voice, "Well, isn't that cute? Your name's Roam and you're from District 6…" From her tone of voice, it sure didn't sound like she thought it was cute. "So are you ready to _die _Roam?"

Roam just stared at her. Her words hadn't seemed to register with him.

"Don't you talk?" She snapped.

"S-sorry, I was j-j-just…" He trailed off in the middle of his sentence.

Ember glared at him, frustrated. "Okay, forget you. It gives me a headache just listening to you." She made a point to turn away and sit in a chair a good distance from him.

Roam felt anger bubbling up from within him. _Good! Leave me alone! _He wanted to scream at the snobby girl. He would have loved to punch that upturned nose right up into her brain. But he knew Journey would tell him to just ignore jibes like that. She had always been around to quell his anger…

_But not anymore. _He thought sadly. At the thought of her, he became lost in his memories. He didn't notice the angry glances Ember kept shooting his way. She was displeased with the partner she had been provided with. She had come up with a plan that for the arena. She would form an alliance with another tribute, use them to her advantage, and when she was done mooching off them…see ya! She was totally cool with killing whoever crossed her path.

_Okay, it's been done before… _She acknowledged, _But it's such a good plan! I'll just find some sucker and it'll be smooth sailing from there._

Of course, there was the matter of dealing with what happened _after _killing her ally. Hopefully there wouldn't be many others around after that. Maybe she'd be able to pick them off. _I'll have to be careful, _She told herself, _I need to pick someone easy to manipulate, someone I could easily kill when their time is up…_

She peered at Roam. He wasn't the one for her. He was pretty big and strong looking. Plus, she didn't have the patience to deal with him—he would drive her nuts. No, it would have to be someone else.

But the question was…who?

**District 7**

Angela couldn't understand why Ivan was smiling. What was there to smile about? And what was with all of those cuts and bruises? "So what's your story?" She asked quite blatantly, "I'm sure your face hasn't looked like that your whole life…"

Ivan blinked in surprise, but his sweet smile remained. "Ohh…nothing worth mentioning…" He said quietly.

"Do you get into fights at school?" Angela questioned.

"I wasn't aware that being subject to interrogation was on the list of festivities…" Ivan replied, irritation lining his tone. But he still tried to remain as pleasant as possible.

Angela lifted an eyebrow. "Hate to break it to you, but it is. It's called an interview. The Capitol's gonna wanna know the story behind each bruise. Just think of this as your warm-up! Now answer my question."

Ivan narrowed his eyes. "That's really not your business."

"Then I'll just assume that you lost and the other guy came off better than you did. Gee, I sure hope you manage to win some when we get into the arena. Otherwise I'm going to be representing my district all alone out there."

Ivan answered in an odd voice, "I'll kill anyone who dares to get in my way. Now stop talking to me."

Angela stared nervously at the older boy. Little did she know, inside, Ivan held a massive amount of aggression. He still felt angry with his father. Everything had gone wrong for him today. He couldn't wait to start training—he wanted to feel the smooth hilt of an axe in his hand. He wanted to hack away at dummies like he often hacked away at trees. In short, he just wanted to let it all out.

Then he remembered where he was. He was still on the train, headed to the Capitol. He tried to look cheerful as he said to Angela, "Sorry about that."

"No, it's fine." Angela said quickly, "I would've had the same reaction…sorry for provoking you."

"You're forgiven."

At this moment, the escort showed up to show them the Reaping recaps. They watched the procession of tributes in silence. At the sight of the Careers, Angela's insides writhed with fear. She never would have admitted how much they scared her. And she was secretly hoped that her mentor wouldn't suggest she join their ranks. They would never welcome one as young as her.

Ivan studied the tributes with an even expression. Angela kept glancing at him for some sort of reaction, but he gave nothing away.

_Well, not like he has a reason to be intimidated. He's huge. I'm only twelve...and just because of that, I'll have a target on my back from the get-go._

**District 8**

Hera quickly boarded the train and went to find a seat. As she walked by Hapi, he offered her a smile. But she passed by him and sat as far away from him as she could. He didn't strike up any conversations, and that was the way she preferred it. They rode in silence. Only a few minutes had passed when their escort came hurrying into the room in a tizzy.

"Oh my goodness!" She squealed when she laid eyes on Hapi, "I can't believe it's really you! I just discovered your mask business the other day before I even knew you existed and, oh my goodness, your masks are going to sell like hotcakes now that you're famous. Do you…do you think you could give me one for free?" She clasped her hands and tried to look endearing.

Hapi laughed lightly. "Of course I will. Though I don't know why you would want to cover up that pretty face of yours…"

"Oh, you are just too much!" The escort squealed, fawning over him, "I'll be rooting for you to win, that's for sure!" Suddenly, she noticed Hera was sitting a few yards away. "Oh, hello, dear. The refreshments are in the next cart over if you get hungry."

With that, the escort sat down and started talking to Hapi about his many creations. Hera sat there, fuming silently, deciding that she didn't care much for Hapi at all. _What a suck-up. _She thought, listening to his flatteries. At some point, she could stand it no longer and left to go to the refreshment cart the escort had mentioned.

Her heart leapt at the miniature banquet she discovered. Steaming vats of hot chocolate, tea, and other warm beverages lined the windows. Innumerable pitchers were filled with water, iced coffee, lemonade, and at least ten different kinds of juices. Bottles of wine rested delicately in a bowl of ice cubes. Hera could see a cold mist rising from the chill.

As for food, plates dotted with all sorts of pastries were stacked to the ceiling—croissants, beignets, danishes and more! Tiny salads and sandwiches were placed side by side. There was a good amount of luscious, fresh fruit too. At the center of it all was a delicious-looking chocolate cheesecake. It was drizzled with caramel syrup and topped with whipped cream and toffee pieces.

Hera headed straight for the cake. She grabbed a blunt knife and cut herself a generous portion. She didn't bother to find a fork or a plate and bit right into it. It was unlike anything she had ever tasted…it felt like heaven had descended on her taste buds. She quickly finished the first slice and went back for a second one. Then, remembering the other delicacies the room had to offer, she headed over to the stack of pastries. She made sure to sample everything. Her fingers soon became a sticky, gooey mess.

Just as she was finishing off a cream-filled beignet, she spotted Hapi standing there watching her. She nearly leapt out of her skin. Face turning red with embarrassment, she quickly swallowed the rest of the dessert and wiped the icing off of her face. She hoped he would realize that she ate when she was stressed.

If he did, he didn't say so. "The escort is about to start the recap of the Reapings. Would you like to come watch?" He said cordially.

"No thank you." Hera replied curtly.

Without another word, Hapi turned and exited out the door. Hera watched him go. When she was sure he was gone, she sunk to her knees, feeling disgusting and miserable. After a few minutes of self-loathing, she rose to her feet and cut herself another slice of cheesecake.

With one bite, she instantly felt better.

**District 9**

"Hi!" Scarlet greeted, as soon as she drew near Emmett, "What's your name again?"

He stared at her. "…I'm Emmett. I'm in a few of your classes."

This came as a surprise. "Oh!" Scarlet exclaimed, "I'm sorry, I hadn't noticed…"

Emmett didn't say anything. He just held his head up high and puffed his chest out. "Your loss." He said coolly. He often did this to boost his confidence. Pretending to have an 'I am better than you' attitude often made him feel like…well, that he was better than everyone else.

Scarlet narrowed her eyes, falling for the act. "Wow. I said I was sorry. I hope your brother isn't as jerkish as you are, or else..."

"What's my brother got to do with anything?" Emmett asked sharply.

Scarlet smirked a little bit, entertained that she knew something he did not. "He's got plenty to do with it." She sneered, "I'm surprised he didn't say anything to you…"

"Let's not play games!" Emmett snapped, crossing his arms, "How do you know Elias?"

"First things first, how about you stop being so rude?" Scarlet shot back.

"_I'm _being rude?" Emmett repeated, outraged. Then he realized that this girl wasn't going to spill the beans if he kept snapping at her. So he tried to relax and appear less arrogant. "Okay, you're right. I'm sorry I was rude. I'm just in a bad mood. Today has been…pretty terrible."

Scarlet considerably lightened up. "It's okay. I understand." She said in a friendlier tone of voice.

"But why did you say my brother had something to do with it? He wasn't reaped. I was."

"Oh…" Scarlet frowned. "My sister Marie is dating him. She told me right before I left."

Emmett's mouth hung open in shock.

"From your expression, I take it Elias never told you."

"No, he didn't." Emmett said quietly. No wonder they had silently grown apart over time. Elias had someone else he cared about. Time spent with his girlfriend was better than time spent with his brother. Emmett felt annoyance pluck at his heart. He had never even had a girlfriend. It was just one more thing that made Elias better than him.

"Well, then my sister said I should be friends with you." Scarlet said quietly.

"Well, that's not going to happen." Emmett said firmly. The words came out sounding nastier than he had intended them to. He meant to acknowledge that it was a bad idea for tributes to forge bonds, but his choice of words was poor.

Scarlet looked highly insulted. "No kidding!" She growled, "Who would want to be friends with you anyways? You act all high and mighty, when you're not!" With that, she turned and stormed out of the train car, shouting something about getting a snack. But she went through the wrong door. A moment later, she came stomping back in, shouting, "I meant to do that!" Then she entered the correct door and slammed it behind her.

_Why did I do that? _Emmett thought miserably, _I'm so worthless. I don't deserve to be here. I just want to go home. Oh, please let this be over soon…_

**District 10**

Galloway was just chilling in her seat, spacing out, when the male tribute, Jarek, plopped himself directly in front of her. He was smiling pleasantly and staring at her, as if waiting for her to spark the conversation. She shot a quick glance at him, then looked away awkwardly. When she didn't say anything after a minute, he finally broke the silence.

"Hi! My name's Jarek. I'm 14-years old!" He greeted. "What's your name?"

"…Galloway." Galloway muttered in response. She looked back at Jarek. _He looks a lot younger. _She noted quietly.

"Galloway? Isn't that a type of cow?" Jarek gave a small giggle, "That's a cool name. I like it!"

"Thanks." Galloway sighed.

Jarek grinned. Galloway just stared at him.

"Um, no offense, but why are you so happy? There's not really anything to be glad about…"

She saw sadness spark in the depths of his big blue eyes. "I know. But I hate being sad. Why can't we just talk and be happy?"

Galloway stared at her feet. "I don't know if I can." She admitted.

"Well then would you like to go to the food cart with me? We can try the Capitol food. I bet it's really good!" He offered kindly.

"No thank you. I'm not hungry."

Jarek smiled, but it was a sad smile. Galloway could tell that he was trying hard to stay happy. Before he could suggest anything else, the escort showed up to get started on the recap of the Reapings.

_Thank goodness! _Both tributes were relieved to find something that would keep their minds busy. They watched, awestruck, as each tribute was revealed. Galloway sat there in silence, while Jarek kept up a continuous stream of commentary.

"Wow, he looks strong! Ooh, she's really tiny isn't she? I wonder how old they all are. Is he 18? That guy looks like my friend from school! Jeez, what's up with her?"

Galloway silently willed him to shut up. He finally did when the Reapings were over…for about ten seconds. Then he wanted to go back and discuss every single boy and girl that would be joining them in the Hunger Games.

"Sorry, Jarek, but do you mind if I take a nap?" Galloway asked shyly.

"No problem. Sorry if I was being annoying." He apologized.

"No, you weren't!" Galloway quickly lied. She felt a bit bad. Jarek was kind and seemed to really care about making those around him happy. _I should be grateful he's my district partner and not some other jerk. _

Silently thanking Jarek for his kindness, she curled up in her chair and closed her eyes, looking forward to the relief that sleep would bring…

**District 11**

"You want to talk to me…? About what?" Tiger-Lilly wondered, overcome with curiosity. She was sitting in a plush chair across from Kalin. He was leaning towards her slightly, as if he couldn't wait to get started.

Kalin's eyes were distant as he spoke, but his face contained a hidden excitement. "Years ago, I came up with a plan if I were to ever go into the Hunger Games…" He spoke in a low voice, as if someone might be eavesdropping, "Every year, the Careers come together and rule over the Cornucopia. Meanwhile, the rest of the tributes are left to form smaller, weaker alliances, or split off as loners. This year, I want to form a huge tribute alliance to counter that of the Careers!" He smiled triumphantly.

Tiger-Lilly stared at him, seized with shock. "You want to…what?"

"Think about it!" He was talking very animatedly now, "No one's ever done that before. Funny, isn't it? But I think if we got our numbers up, we could drive out the Careers! Maybe we could even take them down altogether…!"

Tiger-Lilly was very aware of her heart pounding. Wow. She couldn't believe no one had ever thought of that. Suddenly, she had hope. "Wait." She said quickly, "But what if it comes down to just the tribute alliance? What, then?"

"I'm sure the Gamemakers would find ways of killing us off…" Kalin said, looking a little bit disappointed, "Or we'd part ways at some point. But the thing is, it gives the poorer districts a chance! The ones that have nothing and would really be able to reap the rewards from their winning tribute. And as for those of us that don't make it, at least we would die with full bellies, surrounded by friends, right?"

"Um…wow, that's kind of brilliant." Tiger-Lilly admitted, feeling fond of Kalin already, "But how are you going to gather this alliance in the course of a week without the Careers noticing?"

"It'll be tough. But I'm sure with the help of my awesome district partner, we can do it!" Kalin grinned.

Tiger-Lilly couldn't help but return the smile.

Kalin cleared his throat and continued describing his plan to her. "I'm thinking it'll all come together as we go along. What we're gonna do first is scope out our competition after watching the Reaping recaps and seeing them at the initial chariot parade. We'll start recruiting in training…but we gotta keep it on the lowdown. Don't even go near Districts 1, 2, and 4."

"Okay." Tiger-Lilly agreed, but a few misgivings plucked at the back of her mind. "Are you going to pick who to recruit?"

"I'll pick a few. You try and gather some yourself."

"You trust my judgment?" Tiger-Lilly asked, surprised, "But what if I mess up?"

"You won't. After all, you're from District 11!" Kalin declared.

A giggle escaped Tiger-Lilly's lips, which surprised even herself. "Okay. I'll do my best. But say the Careers _did _find out? What would happen, then?"

Kalin frowned, pondering the question. "Obviously, we would lose the element of surprise, which would be our biggest weapon. But I'm hoping we can outnumber them anyways…" He drifted off, lost deep in thought. Tiger-Lilly didn't say anything, letting him think it through. After a few minutes, he spoke again. "I had another idea…but it might be too dangerous…"

"What is it?"

Kalin grimaced. "Not that anyone's gonna want to do this, but a double agent would be _extremely _useful."

"I'll do it."

Kalin's eyes widened almost humorously. "Whaaat? You're not serious."

Tiger-Lilly smiled mischievously. She knew what she was capable of. She was as sly as her namesake, and quite the actress. If she really put her mind to it, she could probably fool the Careers.

"Okay, no offense girl, but you're not exactly Career material. You're pretty tiny…"

"I'm swift." She said defiantly, "And when I show them what I can do with a knife, they'll be _begging _me to join. Well, maybe I'm exaggerating…"

Kalin's eyes shone with worry. "We can try. I just don't want to see them turn on you like they've done so many times in the past. Sometimes tributes from the outer districts that join the Career pack don't make it past the Bloodbath."

"I think I can get away if the tides turn." Tiger-Lilly responded evenly.

"…You are seriously amazing." Kalin grinned, holding his hand up for a high-five. Tiger-Lilly gave it to him. "This is going to be the best Hunger Games yet. This is the year we show those Careers that the tributes mean business!"

**District 12**

Beatriss didn't talk to the boy that had been reaped alongside her for the entire train ride. She was being especially wary of him. He was pretty tall and muscular with straight dark hair and dark brown eyes. He slightly resembled his brother. Usually, Beatriss was more focused on surviving, but she couldn't really avoid watching parts of the Hunger Games at times. She had seen Carson's death—considering no one really knew Ellis, Carson was District 12's main focus for that year. They had been really distraught when he passed on.

Suddenly, Beatriss was struck by the thought that they were a lot like last year's tributes. She was just a girl no one knew about. Dirt poor, hiding in the shadows of District 12. And Bentley was another unfortunate Rivera.

She could see him shooting glances at her. Sizing her up. She looked awful…he probably didn't think much of her at all. That was when Beatriss realized that she should be putting together some kind of plan. Going over her strengths. _But what do I excel at? _She wondered. Her mind was blank; and that scared her. _I'm only good at…being a slut. _She thought sadly, remembering the words of a girl at the Reaping. Then she recalled the one that had come to visit her. _You could've been so much more. But this is what you've amounted to._

At this point, the escort came in to show them the Reapings. Bentley moved in to watch silently, saying nothing to Beatriss. She tucked her legs in and rested her chin on her knees. The Careers always came on first. Beatriss didn't care much for them. They killed like it was sport. She watched Saffron, Zane, and Dominic carefully.

_Maybe… _She thought, _I could offer them my…services. _She imagined teaming up with one of them, then stabbing them in the back when they least expected it. But they would probably end up banning together to form one large alliance like they normally did. So she discarded the idea, for now.

But she observed the rest of the male tributes with interest, this new kind of tactic always at the back of her mind. They all sort of melded together in her mind. But the boy from District 9…her heart went out to him when his parents disowned him like that. It reminded her of her father.

Bentley, meanwhile, was sizing up each of the competitors, but their names went in one ear and out the other. He wasn't interested in knowing who they were. He wasn't interested in forging an alliance. If he was going to win this thing, he was going to do it all on his own.

Many hours later, they finally arrived in the Capitol. A large crowd had gathered to see the District 12 tributes. He walked straight up to the window and looked out at the Capitol dwellers with his head held high. He could see Beatriss shrinking back out of the corner of his eye, but he ignored her. Both of them knew the Capitol dwellers weren't as interested in meeting her as they were him.

They only had eyes for Bentley.

**Ahh I flippin' love Jarek! And Tiger-Lilly! And...aw, what the heck, I love all of them! Well, almost all of them. But the more I write the more I fall in love with certain characters. :)  
**


	9. The Chariot Ride

**WTF already a hundred reviews and we're not even to the Games or even the Capitol yet! /sniff/ You guys are awesome…**

**Last year, we had the Careers going down the line and checking everyone out. This year, it'll be the Careers and our two lovely District 11 tributes that are looking for some new buddies. Sorry this chapter is always sort of lopsided in who is focused on.**

Staring at herself in the mirror, Ravish realized how beautiful she looked. Her face was nearly unrecognizable, covered in fierce red makeup. Her body had been showered in red glitter, which sparkled in the light. She wasn't too fond of her skimpy outfit, though. She had on a fancy ruby-encrusted bikini and a large, red-feathered headdress. She pulled it off nicely, but it wasn't _her_. It was what Capitol showgirls wore, and they were well known for sleeping around. Ravish loved theatrics, but she wasn't one of those District 1 sleazes that aimed to please men. Obviously, that's what the stylists were going for here.

Sighing, she started heading towards District 1's chariot. She had some time to kill before the ceremony began. Perhaps she could introduce herself to her fellow Careers. Just as she was wondering whether or not to take Saffron with her, she heard shouts coming from the direction of their chariot. Overwhelmed with curiosity, she headed on over anyways.

She heard Saffron before she saw him. He was hurling insults at his stylist, who was quickly retreating from the scene. Even after she disappeared, he kept shouting. As he came into view, Ravish could see what he was angry about.

_Figures. _District 1 tributes were always scantily clothed, and that included the male tributes too. And since she was a Capitol showgirl, it only made sense that Saffron would be a show_boy_. And most showboys only ever wore towels and bowties so that the ladies could fawn over the rest of their unclothed body.

"This is highly unethical! I _demand _a change in attire!" He snarled at no one in particular. Like Ravish, Saffron was covered in red glitter and makeup. His towel and bowtie were encrusted with matching rubies. When he spotted Ravish, he immediately quieted and folded his arms, trying to look as if he hadn't just been throwing a tantrum. "Greetings, Blackwell." He said in a controlled voice, "I see you've fallen victim to this heinous crime as well."

"That's one way to put it." She said grimly, "Want to come meet the other tributes with me?"

"Of course."

"And you'd better be on your best behavior," Ravish warned, "Or else we're all going to wind up killing you as soon as the gong rings."

"Please, I would never dream of being discourteous to my allies," Saffron replied calmly. Then they both turned to see Zane and Adrenaline coming towards them. "Here come mongrels."

"Saffron, that counts as being discourteous!" Ravish hissed, just as Zane and Adrenaline stopped in front of them. They were draped in pure white robes with two gold crowns resting atop their head. All sorts of precious stones studded the fabric as well as their skin. Diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, amethysts…all kinds, many that most of the tributes had never even seen before. The two were meant to represent Zeus and Hera, from Greek mythology.

"Hi," Zane greeted cordially, "I'm Zane Ronan and this is Adrenaline Rush. We're the Careers from District 2."

Ravish stifled a laugh. What kind of name was Adrenaline Rush? "Hey. I'm Ravish Blackwell, and this is…" She glared at Saffron, half-expecting him to refuse to introduce himself, just as he had done at the Reaping.

But instead, he announced, "Saffron Le Bel!" in a thick, dramatic French accent.

"Saffron, huh?" Adrenaline purred in a seductive voice, stepping forward and working her arms around his waist, "Well, Saffron, how about you and I…"

"Release me at once." Saffron said stiffly, glaring down at her.

Zane heaved a sigh, slapping his forehead with a hand. "Adrenaline, what did I tell you?"

Adrenaline smirked, clinging tightly to Saffron. "Oh, something about not tricking the other Careers into forming a relationship with me because I already have a boyfriend. I might be wrong; my memory's kind of fuzzy. But this one's just too cute! Can I keep you?" She pushed out her lower lip, batting her eyelashes up at Saffron in an endearing sort of way.

He looked thoroughly disgusted. He tried to push her away from him, but she just latched on more firmly, digging her nails into his bare skin. The other two Careers watched, amused, as he struggled to remove her. But she was like a stubborn leech, refusing to let go. Finally, Saffron pitifully wailed, "Would someone please get this feral off of me?"

Ravish moved in and helped him out, peeling Adrenaline off of him while telling her that they needed to go seek out their allies from District 4. Adrenaline completely forgot about her pursuit of Saffron in her excitement to meet the rest of their alliance.

"Thank you," Saffron said to Ravish, brushing himself off, "I would hire you as a bodyguard if you ever so desired."

"Well, if I'm ever in need of a job, I'll know where to go." Ravish snorted sarcastically.

With that, they moved off to meet the District 4 Careers. They passed District 3's chariot without a second glance. Their costumes were rather atrocious. Their stylists had come up with an idea they had initially declared as brilliant. They wanted to make District 3 look like bombs ready to go off. But the result was not nearly as cool as it sounded. The outfits were bulky, making both tributes look like they had gained 100 pounds. Pathetic little hats, meant to represent fuses, sparked pitifully atop their heads.

Baye was feeling pretty awful, especially when she saw how great the first two districts looked. But she really, _really _wanted to get in on their alliance. So she took a deep breath, trying to push her shyness aside, and went to go talk to them. Seth observed her walking in the direction of the Careers and he sighed inwardly.

_Poor judgment on her part. Such a shame she didn't heed my words…I suppose I was right about her being off-kilter. _He thought, shaking his head. He wasn't interested in finding an alliance like she was. He didn't want to have to talk to anyone unless it was necessary. So he proceeded to let his mind wander elsewhere.

"Um…excuse me!" Baye called out after the four of them. "I'd like to talk to you."

They stopped and turned around, looking surprised. Baye suddenly felt nervous. They were all older than her. She silently prayed that this would go over well.

"Can we help you?" Ravish said, stepping forward. She didn't seem too friendly.

"I want to join your alliance." She said simply, trying to sound confident.

"Why?"

The question caught Baye off guard. "Because…you're strong. I admire you guys." She thought up quickly, "I want to be on your side."

"I don't think so." Ravish said, narrowing her eyes.

Baye swept her gaze over the other Careers. They seemed to be considering her. But Ravish, who seemed to be their spokesperson, turned on her heel and walked away.

"Wait!" Baye called after her, "I'm originally from District 4. If you just give me a chance, I'll prove my worth!"

Well _that _got everyone's attention.

"How did you manage to switch districts?" Zane questioned, lifting his dark eyebrows in surprise.

"I didn't think that was possible!" Adrenaline scoffed.

"It's a long story." Baye mumbled, "But I promise you, I'm not lying."

She could see Ravish studying her. Before she could say anything, Saffron spoke up. "You may accompany us for the time being. We'll test you tomorrow, in training."

Everyone looked at him in surprise. Ravish narrowed her eyes, but she consented, "Fine. Let her come."

_I'm in…but not quite. _Baye thought, feeling anxious, _Hopefully I can impress them in the training center! _She introduced herself and learned everyone else's names in return. She repeated them in her head, trying to establish them in her memory.

Then, with Baye in tow, they moved on to meet the District 4 Careers. The two of them were wearing matching sailor costumes with skipper hats. The girl was sitting up in the chariot, looking bored, while the boy loitered by the horses. As soon as he saw them, he came over. "Hi. I'm Dominic. Dominic Goldanchor." He greeted, a nervous smile on his face. He hoped that no one would mention his moment of panic at the Reaping. For the time being, he was glad he had gotten to them before Kelsea did, in case she said anything.

But then he was very aware of her presence as she approached from behind. "Kelsea Cutthroat." She said simply. Dominic's breath caught in his throat, as he waited for her to say he wasn't allowed to join. But she didn't. She just stood there silently as everyone else introduced themselves.

When they had finished, she just said in a monotone voice, "Yeah. I'm not going to remember all of that."

"Oh come on!" Adrenaline whined, "You can't forget _my _name. My name's awesome!"

Kelsea just stared at her. "Yeah. Sugar Rush, or whatever it was. Your parents must've hated you when you were born."

Zane gave a nervous laugh, putting a hand on Adrenaline's shoulder to keep her from going for Kelsea's jugular. "Come on, guys, let's get going. We gotta check out the rest of the competition. Aren't you excited to find out who's going to die by our hands?"

His words had the intended effect. The girls forgot their quarrel, eager to see the rest of the tributes. They headed for the District 5 chariot. Dominic trailed behind, feeling extremely relieved that Kelsea hadn't said anything. But then he realized why.

_She thinks I'll screw up so badly in training that the Careers won't want me…but I won't. I'll do my best! I _need _to be in this alliance to survive…_

Suddenly, Dominic felt someone grab ahold of his arm. He looked over in surprise at the girl that was hanging off of him. "Hey…" She said in a low voice, "My name's Adrenaline…y'know, I have a thing for blondes…" Dominic's eyes flew open in panic and he could feel his cheeks turning bright red.

"Adrenaline..." Zane growled, without even having to look back.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop!"

"If you do that one more time, I swear…"

* * *

Tiger-Lilly didn't care for this year's costume much. She wore a dress covered in layer of gray feathers, soft to the touch. The dress was short in the front, and long and trailing in the back, making it look like she had a tail. Her long, feathered sleeves gave her the appearance of having wings. The outfit was done tastefully, but Tiger-Lilly just didn't like her new identity as an over-sized bird…

When she came across Kalin, she saw that his costume slightly differed from her own. He wore a tailcoat covered in darker, glossier feathers. His hair had been spiked up to look like a crest. He grinned at her approach.

"We're Phainopeplas!" He announced.

Tiger-Lilly stared at him, wondering if he was speaking another language. "Excuse me?"

"It's a kind of bird that eats fruit. Pretty creative, huh?" He looked so proud of himself for knowing what they were supposed to be.

_Well, at least he seems pleased… _Tiger-Lilly thought.

"So you ready to get started?" He questioned. "Remember, we're just gonna introduce ourselves…don't invite anyone into the alliance until training."

"Right." Tiger-Lilly nodded. "Who did we say stood out at the Reapings?"

Kalin's smile faltered. "Um…I forget. We'll figure it out as we go." He flapped his wings up and down, declaring, "Ca-caw! Let's do this!" He turned and ran off, flailing his arms.

"First things first, if you want my help, you're not allowed to do that!" Tiger-Lilly shouted, hurrying to keep up with him.

"Okay, okay, no ca-cawing…" He laughed, ceasing his frantic flapping.

Walking quickly, they first stopped by District 12's carriage. The tributes' costumes resembled last year's a lot. They were covered in all black again, but this time, bits of coal had actually been attached to their bodies. Tiger-Lilly hung back as Kalin walked right up and introduced himself. But neither of the District 12 tributes seemed very friendly. Beatriss backed away, looking as if she thought Kalin might attack her. Bentley was polite, but made it clear that he didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment.

"I'm Kalin. You're Bentley, right? Wasn't your brother in the Games last year?"

"Yeah."

"I'm really sorry about that…"

"Mmm."

Kalin came back, looking only slightly disappointed. "Well, they obviously don't want anything to do with anyone, which is a shame since they're the poorest district. But I don't blame them. They're just doing what they think is best. Come on, let's move on to District 10."

Bentley watched them go, wondering why the boy from District 11 had seemed so eager to make friends. But then he just shrugged it off. It wasn't his business. The guy was probably just looking for an alliance or scoping out his competitors, as the Careers so often did.

District 10 was running a tad late and had failed to appear so they moved on to District 9. They were dressed like bakers, each holding a loaf of bread that came straight out of their district. The girl was feasting on hers while the boy gave her a withering look that clearly read they weren't supposed to eat them.

"Hey look, pigeons!" Scarlet giggled at the sight of the two tributes from 11, "Here you go!" She ripped off a chunk of bread and tossed it to them.

Kalin easily caught it, tearing it in half and giving a piece of it to his partner. As he did so, he called out, "Hey, I'm Kalin and this is Tiger-Lilly! What's your name?"

"Scarlet!" She replied cheerfully, looking flattered at the attention she was receiving from this good-looking boy.

"Scarlet, huh? Well, nice to meet you."

"Same!" She grinned.

Kalin looked past her to see Emmett. He was looking quite disproving of the unexpected visitors. "Hey, man. How's it going?"

"Fine." Emmett responded curtly, avoiding eye contact. Kalin frowned. He seemed a tad arrogant.

"Oh, this is Emmett! Don't mind him, he's a little grumpy." Scarlet laughed, poking him. Emmett inched away from her, scowling. He muttered something and Scarlet left him alone, turning back to talk to Kalin some more. But he was already headed off down the line, calling a goodbye over his shoulder.

"I liked her. She was nice." Kalin commented, eating his bread in one bite.

"Well, no offense to her, but she didn't seem remarkably strong or bright…" Tiger-Lilly muttered.

"I'm not going to be picky. Everyone's useful in their own way." Kalin pointed out, "Here comes the next district…"

Both tributes from District 8 were sitting quietly in their chariot, turned away from one another. They appeared to be sweating in their layers and layers of different fabric they were sporting. The boy wore a patchy-looking suit and the girl wore a dress. Both sported hats that looked like pin cushions.

Kalin paused, looking them over. "That Asian looks kind of shady…" He remarked quietly.

"You think so?" Tiger-Lilly whispered, sneaking glances at him. A large, toothy grin was plastered on his face. His eyes were mere slits. It was hard to get a read on him. "Don't be racist."

"Oh, come on, I'm not that shallow-minded. Let's skip this district for now. We probably don't have much longer anyways."

Tiger-Lilly agreed with him and they continued on to District 7.

* * *

The Careers had just passed by District 5. Amara had avoided eye contact, while Luke stared straight at them, meeting their gazes with confidence. He was wondering whether or not he should join them. _Would my chances be better off if I were in an alliance with them? _He thought of the disloyal, disorganized Careers from last year. _Maybe not._

But as he watched them go, he decided that he would take some time to observe them once training began. Then he would weigh his options and decide on whether or not to join them…

"I'm going to go walk around for a bit." Amara said quietly, "I can't stand sitting around like this. I'll see you later."

"Okay." Luke acknowledged quietly, watching her leave. "See ya."

The Careers were observing District 6 now. They were looking pretty fancy in black jumpsuits and capes with the map of Panem printed on their bodies. Silver lines ran all over their costumes, representing the routes of trains. Each wore a hovercraft-like headpiece and a train track belt. Wheels ran along the bottoms of their shoes, turning at different rates though their owners remained stationary. To top it off, both of them held wrenches. Their stylists had done very well, honing in on all sorts of little details for the costumes this year.

But it was clear that the Careers hadn't stopped by to admire their outfits. They were getting glimpses of their future prey. Roam half-expected Ember to run over and force them to let her join. But she remained where she was, glowering at them. The Careers stared back at her, some of them smirking. One girl, with spiky crimson hair, was smiling broadly. As if she thought she was better than anyone else. She and Ember seemed to be engaged in a fiery staring contest.

Finally, Ember shouted, "You better get lost or I'll chuck this wrench at you!" pointing directly at the girl that had been leering at her.

"I'd like to see you try!" She retorted, bending her knees and dropping into a crouch. Roam felt a thrill of fear, thinking that she was going to attack.

But then, one of the other girls grabbed her arm, growling, "Come on, we don't have all day." Then they moved off, not before Adrenaline spit at the ground.

"That freak better not cross me again." She growled as they left to check out District 7.

* * *

"Uh-oh. Here come the Careers." Kalin said in a low voice. They were walking towards them, but their eyes were focused on the District 7 tributes. The tributes' bodies were spray painted a glittering brown, their skin having an array of bark patterns that had been painted on. They were wrapped in realistic-looking branches and a crown of leaves rested atop their heads.

"So? We just pass on by and don't say anything." Tiger-Lilly said calmly.

"I don't want them seeing you with me. You're going to join them, remember? Go on, you better hide…"

Tiger-Lilly felt a small thrill of fear. She had completely forgotten their plans from the previous day.

"Hurry! They're coming!"

The Careers were starting to turn towards them. Tiger-Lilly took off, running back the way they had come. She ducked under a random chariot and hid there, hoping that they hadn't seen her escape.

After a few minutes, a boy's head popped over the edge of the chariot. He was looking down at her with wide blue eyes. "Hi! I'm Jarek. What's your name? Why are you hiding under our chariot?" He asked in a cheerful voice.

"Shh!" Tiger-Lilly hissed, "I'm hiding from the Careers."

"Why are you hiding from the Careers?" He asked curiously. Another face appeared beside him. A girl with brown hair was peering at her with suspicious green eyes. They were dressed like a milkman and a milkmaid. Their black and white outfits reminded Tiger-Lilly of cows.

"No reason." She quickly lied, her mind racing to make up an excuse.

The two tributes exchanged a glance. "This is Galloway, by the way. What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't." Tiger-Lilly said grimly.

"Tiger-Lilly." Galloway said suddenly, "I remember your Reaping."

"Yeah. That's me." Tiger-Lilly muttered.

Jarek asked her why she was hiding under the chariot once more, but Tiger-Lilly stubbornly refused to tell. Then the thought that she should tell them about the alliance crossed her mind. But Kalin had clearly said they would get to that in training. So she quickly changed the subject and had a nice chat with them while she waited for the Careers to pass on by. Jarek was a little hyper, but it was easy to see he had a kind heart. Galloway was quiet at first, but slowly came out of her shell the more they spoke.

When it was safe to return, Tiger-Lilly thought to herself, _Y'know what, they were pretty nice…not really the fighter type, but Kalin said that sort of thing didn't matter. Maybe I'll mention their names to him.  
_

* * *

Kalin ran into the Careers at District 7's chariot. They all halted and stared at him, scrutinizing him. Adrenaline gave a loud laugh and crowed, "Look everyone! It's a giant chicken! Bawk bawk!"

Kalin gave a good-natured chuckle in response. But he was silently counting the Careers in his head. _Seven. That's a lot. With Tiger-Lilly, it'll be eight…I have a lot of work to do._

Luckily, the Careers moved on without too much harassment. Kalin was free to explore the rest of the chariots. But then a voice came on the loudspeaker, telling them that the chariot ride would begin in five minutes. Kalin moved quickly, passing over each tribute.

District 7 looked a bit funny, with a tiny female tribute and a huge male tribute. But the girl was glaring at him and the boy was covered in cuts and bruises. He was probably a fighter. Oh well-District 7 was a bit better off than its neighbors. So Kalin skipped over them to check out District 6.

He was so focused on catching a glimpse of them that he crashed right into someone. There was a small cry of surprise and Kalin looked to see a black-haired girl about to lose her balance. "Whoa! Sorry about that." He reached out and caught her arm.

Her gray eyes were wide. "Oh, it's okay. I'm sorry."

"No problem. The name's Kalin." He reached out and shook her hand.

"I'm Amara." She replied.

Kalin blinked in surprise at her outfit. Amara wore a dark blue spandex suit that covered her skin from neck to toe. Black wires were wrapped all around her entire body, even atop her head. The massive tangle of wires and hair looked rather strange. "Heh! Your hair looks kind of like a bird's nest." He pointed out cheerfully.

Amara looked away awkwardly, frowning at the ground.

"Oh, not that that's a bad thing!" Kalin recovered quickly, "I mean, look at me, I'm a giant stinkin' bird! You're probably standing there, worried that I'll alight on top of your head. But I promise you, I won't."

Amara gave a light laugh. "Want to see something cool?"

"Sure."

She located a button that was hidden on her outfit. She pressed it and her whole body seemed to light up. Blue electricity crackled through the wires, giving off a soft blue glow.

"Whoa." Kalin breathed in amazement. "I think you just won for most amazing costume ever."

Amara smiled softly and turned the outfit off. "Thank you."

The announcer came back on, saying that they had a minute to get to their chariots. That's when Luke appeared, exclaiming, "There you are! C'mon, we gotta get back to the chariot. Hey." He greeted Kalin with a nod. He was wearing a matching costume.

"Hey. I'm Kalin." Kalin nodded back. "Amara was showing me what your costumes do. I'm jealous."

"Name's Luke. Guess we'll see you later."

The two headed back to their place in line. Kalin returned to his own, thoughtfully considering District 5 as allies.

Once everyone was back in his or her places, the ceremony began. Music blasted out of every corner of the room and a roar from the crowd went up as the first chariot pulled out.

District 1 never failed to amaze the audience. Ravish was playing the part well, waving at the crowd and beaming. Saffron was the exact opposite, standing rigidly with his arms folded, his usual scowl stuck on his face. "Peasants…" He muttered, glaring at the citizens that were ten times richer than him. _Oh well. _Ravish thought, mildly amused, _More sponsors for me! _

Then came District 2. Zane had a confident smile on his face and was calmly waving to his adoring fans. Adrenaline threw her arms in the air, screaming along with the crowd, trying to get them hyped up. Then she actually ripped a diamond off of her arm and threw it into the audience, laughing as people scrambled for it. Zane rolled his eyes, but kept on smiling.

Cheers from the Capitol quieted ever so slightly when they saw District 3. Instead, they laughed at their ridiculous outfits. Baye blushed and lowered her head, staring at her feet. Seth seemed immune to everything. He was staring straight ahead, his gray eyes calm. Baye briefly wished she could appear that confident.

Next up—District 4. Kelsea, as usual, looked bored by what was going on around her. Dominic shrunk back from the amount of noise, looking wide-eyed and fearful. Both just sort of stared at the throng of people that had gathered, but that didn't stop the Capitol from screeching their admirations.

There was an audible "Ooh!" that came from the crowd when District 5 came on the scene. Their costumes were definitely some of the best. Amara hated to be in the spotlight and just smiled politely, hanging back. Luke, however, had the audacity to wave at the crowd a bit. A few fangirl squeals emanated in response.

Roam felt nervous, even though he kept telling himself that he wouldn't have to speak here. He tried to smile, but he realized that he must have looked pretty nervous next to Ember. Her hands were planted firmly on her hips and she was smirking like she had already won the Hunger Games. Their capes blew out behind them, making them look extremely cool.

District 7 was another attention-catcher. The tiny 12-year old next to the looming 18-year old made an interesting combo. And Ivan's bruises made him look intimidating. The audience was very impressed with him. Angela had on a confident smirk and waved at the crowd in a dramatic sort of way. She was not to be outdone, and both tributes became memorable.

District 8 looked shabby in comparison to the ones that had come before it. Both were sweating profusely, but Hapi still put on a great show, beaming and waving until both hands were tired. Hera didn't do anything and watched him proceed to suck up to the Capitol, inwardly groaning at his gaudy display.

Then came District 9, another district with a blander outfit. But it was clear to see that Scarlet was bursting with energy. She welcomed the cheering of the crowd, wriggling with excitement and waving at every person she could pick out. Emmett held his head high, looking straight ahead, as if he were above everyone else there.

The crowd seemed to enjoy District 10 in their little milkman and milkmaid outfits. A few women were shrieking in awe at how adorable they were. Jarek had on a wide grin as they rooted for him and his partner. Galloway was a little bit nervous, but she tried to match his smile and nodded to each person that screamed her name.

Tiger-Lilly smiled, trying to look brave as their chariot pulled out. Then she looked over and saw Kalin grinning like a goofball and flapping his wings. She inched over and gave him a small, good-natured shove with her shoulder. He stopped flapping and nudged her back, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Tiger-Lilly looked up at the screen and realized they looked like they were best buds. Not something you saw on every chariot…

Last of all, came District 12. As they pulled into the light and every gaze fell upon them, something strange happened. The coal that had been plastered to their costumes seemed to shed its hard, black shell, revealing sparkling diamonds underneath. Everyone screamed in awe as the coal turned to jewels right in front of their eyes. Bentley and Beatriss each couldn't help but smile a bit.

The chariots circled while the crowd roared and applauded for the year's tributes. When they halted, President Snow appeared for his usual speech. He congratulated the children upon being selected to compete and wished each of them good luck. When he said, "May the odds be ever in your favor," the crowd sang it with him. Then the chariots pulled out and the music started up again.

Excitement and fear pounded in each tribute's heart. The initial ceremony was over. Tomorrow was training…and that was where the real fun began.

**For the record, it's really fun to dramatically announce, "Saffron Le Bel!" in a French accent.**


	10. Training Part 1

**Hey! SpunkyFun, the creator of Amara, is writing her own Hunger Games! So is Zssillybilly, another fan of this story. They need characters! So after you read this chapter, make sure you go on over to their profiles and submit a tribute. And root for Sage, Rocky and Nester! :)**

**A few characters aren't covered here, but training is split into two parts so we'll see what they're up to in the next chapter. Also, if you haven't already, please send in the scores, skills, and interview ideas I mentioned a few chapters back. If not, I'll just make something up which you may or may not be happy with, but you'll have no right to complain about it. ;)**

On the first day of training, the Careers proceeded with their plans to have Baye "audition" for them. Luckily for her, she performed well at the archery station and hand-to-hand combat. When fighting the trainer, she proved to be ruthless. All of her other skills were mediocre at best. Before accepting her, the Careers had a small huddle.

"So what do you guys say?" Ravish whispered.

"I proclaim we let her join!" Saffron declared, "The more vast our army is, the better."

"I agree with Saffron," Zane said, "Plus, we'll be needing someone good with a bow and arrows."

"Um…I'm good with a bow and arrows too." Dominic pointed out quietly.

Everyone looked at him.

"…But I'm fine with her joining."

"Then you'd better hope they provide more than one bow." Kelsea said coldly, "And I say we _don't _let her join. I don't care how good she is, she's still not a Career."

Adrenaline opened her mouth to say her vote, but Ravish interrupted, "Sorry, it looks like you're already outvoted." She turned and called to Baye, "Hey! You're in."

Baye smiled. "Thank you so much." She said softly.

Adrenaline huffed, "I didn't get to vote!" but it went unheard.

It was time for the Careers to show off their other skills. They headed to the gauntlet first, to take turns working on their speed and agility. The entire time, Dominic was highly aware of Kelsea watching him, waiting for him to fail.

"Okay, Tiger-Lilly. Let's try to space out who we're going to recruit. We don't wanna look suspicious so we'll go a few at a time. I'm gonna aim for District 5 today, Scarlet tomorrow. You can grab whomever you want, but make sure to be careful about it."

"Okay." Tiger-Lilly agreed, crouching behind a tree at the camouflage station with Kalin. Bentley was nearby looking suspicious, but he didn't approach them. "I have an idea of who I want to talk to."

"Oh, by the way…" Kalin said slowly, "I'm thinking you shouldn't put off joining the Careers. You should go talk to them tomorrow and get in on their alliance."

Tiger-Lilly's heart pounded nervously and she suddenly felt like backing out. But she shook off her fear, told him, "Okay!" and moved off to find the District 10 tributes. She spotted Galloway doing target practice with a bow and arrow. Tiger-Lilly casually slipped in next to her, grabbing up a handful of throwing knives. She chucked one at the target, making a clean hit. A small smirk crossed her face. _Not bad. Not bad at all. _

She heard a small grunt of frustration from Galloway as her arrow completely missed the target. Tiger-Lilly peered over at her. "You gotta put your shoulder into it more. Bring it all the way back." She offered.

Galloway didn't show any sign of hearing her and released another arrow. This time, it hit the target. "Thanks." She said quietly. "This is harder than it looks."

"Don't worry about it. I've been wanting to talk to you again." Tiger-Lilly said, deciding to get straight to the point

She could see suspicion clouding Galloway's expression. "…Why?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. Just grab Jarek and be discreet about it."

Tiger-Lilly turned and walked towards the shelter-making station on the far side of the training center, a good distance from the Careers. No one else was there yet. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Galloway loitering at the archery station. Then she silently moved away from it, crossing paths with Jarek, who had been on his way to try wrestling. She spoke a few quick words to him, and he completely changed course, headed straight for Tiger-Lilly.

"Hi!" He greeted cheerfully, plopping himself down next to her. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Shush! Wait for Galloway." Tiger-Lilly warned, glancing around warily. The closest tribute was Angela, who was currently absorbed in building a fire. Across the room, she could see the redheaded Asian watching them carefully. She stared at him, waiting for him to look away. She could have sworn he was staring straight at her. But then he turned his head to observe the Careers.

She set to work on her shelter, trying to ignore Jarek. It was clear to see he was quivering with excitement. Fifteen minutes passed and Tiger-Lilly was nearly done with her shelter when Galloway took up residence at their station.

"Way to be sneaky about it." Tiger-Lilly whispered, speaking quickly, "Anyways, I'd like to tell you about a plan Kalin and I formed…"

"Wait!" Jarek raised a hand. "Who's Kalin?"

"He's my district partner. Over there." Tiger-Lilly nodded in his direction. He was currently lifting weights beside Luke. The two were chatting casually, their muscles bulging as they worked out.

Jarek's eyes widened. "Wow! He looks cool." He breathed.

"Come on! We don't have much time." Tiger-Lilly hissed urgently. Hapi had disappeared from his post, but Angela was still in the same spot. She could see the 12-year old looking over with suspicious eyes. _I should have picked a more popular station…the shelter station is never this crowded.  
_

"Then get on with it." Galloway said, looking anxious.

"Okay. Kalin and I want to gather a huge alliance to take on the Careers. But we _have _to keep it a secret from them or else we'll lose the element of surprise."

"I'm in!" Jarek said instantly.

Galloway hesitated. "Why are you doing this?"

Tiger-Lilly tried to remember what Kalin said. "So the poorer districts will have a chance to bring home a winner. So we can have the food and supplies that the Careers normally take."

"But what if it comes down to those of us in the alliance?"

Tiger-Lilly gave a wry smile. "You're asking all the questions I did. And we think that's highly unlikely. We'll probably either split off or get killed one way or another. Just don't worry about that for now."

Galloway was silent for a few seconds. "…Okay," She finally said, a small smile forming on her lips, "Let's do it." _Maybe this is how I get home. This is the chance that I've been waiting for._

"Great!" Tiger-Lilly beamed. "I'll let Kalin know. We'd better split up for now. Remember: Don't tell anyone!"

With that, she quickly stood up and moved towards the fishing station, trying to look nonchalant. Jarek bounced away in the other direction, headed for the nearby fire making station. Galloway remained the shelter station, working on her creation.

Tiger-Lilly quickly gave up on trying to fashion a fishhook and crept on over to where Kalin was to hear the tail end of his conversation with Luke.

"I was actually considering joining the Careers, but I really like what I'm hearing. I think this'll improve everyone's chances…" He trailed off, frowning at Tiger-Lilly.

"It's cool. She's with me." Kalin said smoothly. "Are you already done?"

"District 10 is on our side." Tiger-Lilly whispered, motioning to the two tributes. "That one's Galloway and that one's Jarek."

Kalin squinted his eyes at the latter. "…What's Jarek doing?"

He was talking animatedly to Angela, waving his arms with excitement. Angela's eyes were narrowed and they could see her shaking her head slightly. The young boy gave a shrug and charged over to talk to the nearest person, which happened to be Roam. Then he started talking to _him_, waving his arms in the same fashion.

All of them seemed to realize what was happening at the same time.

"Please tell me he's not." Kalin said in a comical, high-pitched voice.

"He is." Luke confirmed.

"Jarek, no!" Tiger-Lilly gasped in horror. She and Kalin took off at the same time, but then Kalin awkwardly shoved her behind him, growling, "No, I'll handle it! We shouldn't be seen together!" Tiger-Lilly ran in a confused circle, and then dashed back to the knife station.

She skidded to a halt by the rack of throwing knives, trying to regain her breath. She snatched up a knife, straining her ears to hear what Kalin was saying, not too far off. But he was speaking in hushed tones. Unfocused, she tossed the knife and it completely missed the target.

A light laugh from behind her nearly caused her to jump out of her skin. She whipped around to see Hapi standing right behind her, watching her through thin eye slits. "Oh, don't mind me." He said in a polite tone of voice, "Do go on."

Tiger-Lilly could feel her face turning red. She snatched up another knife and threw it at the target, striking it this time around. She tried her best to ignore the boy standing behind her, watching her every move.

Not far off, Kalin was standing at the edible insects station with Jarek and Roam. He was scolding the 14-year old in a quiet voice, while pretending to observe the bugs spread out before them. Roam was watching them curiously.

"What do you think you're doing? Tiger-Lilly told you not to tell anyone, didn't she? We have to be very, _very _careful because we don't want this information to fall into the wrong hands. You got that?"

Jarek was looking at Kalin with wide eyes, nodding his head at every point the older boy made. "I'm sorry! I forgot!"

Kalin sighed. "It's okay. Who all did you tell?"

Jarek pointed at Roam. "Just this guy, and that little girl over there. I meant to ask them their names, but I was excited and I forgot."

Kalin tried to keep from face palming.

"I-If it-it-it helps…" Roam said shyly, "I-I'd like t-t-to j-join. M-My n-n-name's Roam"

"Great!" Kalin said, grinning, "I'm Kalin. We're happy to have you. But _please _don't go around telling people about this."

Roam smiled. _You won't have to worry about that. I can barely get a word out. _He responded in his head.

"Just leave all the recruiting to me and Tiger-Lilly, okay?" Kalin shot a stern look at Jarek.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Jarek apologized, hanging his head in shame.

"Don't worry about it. Did the little girl want to join?"

"She said no."

Kalin sighed heavily. "Well, I hope she doesn't say anything to the Careers. That could really screw us over…hey, where did Roam go?"

They glanced around to see that the boy had wandered off, aimlessly walking towards the weapons section. A faint grin was on his Roam's face as his mind swam with thoughts. _Wow! That alliance is such a good idea. They seemed so nice too. Wasn't Kalin a giant bird at the chariot rides? I wonder what kind of bird he was. I wonder if we'll be having chicken for dinner again tonight. That was so good. I wish I could take Journey on a date inside the Capitol; she would love it here. I'll just have to win for her. What station should I try next? Maybe I'll check out the fishing station. Then I can catch fish for the people in my new alliance. Fish doesn't taste as good as chicken._

Jarek grinned sheepishly, watching him go. "Uhh…I'm sure he'll make a valuable asset to this alliance!"

Kalin gave a snort of amusement. "I know. I'm sure everyone will. Sorry I got mad at you, kid. You were just trying to help."

Jarek's eyes shone with praise. "You're welcome! Hey, can I hang out with you?"

Kalin gave a small laugh. "Sorry, bud. We gotta keep this on the lowdown, remember? Secret agent style…"

Jarek stared at him in awe. "Oh, got it." He said in a hushed voice, "See you later!"

The two parted ways. Angela watched the whole exchange, a small smirk on her face. She wasn't interested in joining their alliance; she could look out for herself. But with this information, she could spoil it all for them. She could spill their secret to the Careers and ruin everything.

_And what do you know…here comes some now… _She grinned, feeling very mischievous. _I think I'll mention it to them._

It was Saffron, Adrenaline, and Dominic. Saffron was currently complaining that they should have servants on standby to give them water whenever they needed it. "We shouldn't have to go off looking for it ourselves! This is a waste of precious time!" Dominic was nodding his head in agreement, but his eyes were glazed over. He wasn't really listening. Adrenaline was walking between the two blondes, trying to twine her arms with theirs, but they brushed her off each time she did so. Angela stepped into their path.

"Hey." She greeted, smirking, "I have some valuable information that I think you might be interested in hear—"

"Out of the way, peasant!" Saffron snapped, shoving right past her.

Adrenaline's face screwed up with glee at the sight of Angela. "Hey, shrimp!" She jeered, "Good luck getting past the Bloodbath—the 12-year olds always go first!"

"Okay, forget it then!" Angela snarled at their retreating figures. "Freaks!" She turned and stomped away, deciding to take the secret with her. The Careers didn't deserve to know. _Besides…_ Angela acknowledged, _I'm sure I can find a way to benefit myself from this…_

Meanwhile, Emmett was approaching a wall that was lined with swords. _Wow… _He thought, feeling impressed, _I didn't know this many swords existed. I don't even know what most of these would be called… _He reached out to grab a spadroon. At the same time, someone else reached for it, and their hands brushed. Emmett recoiled. "Oh! I'm sorry!" He apologized.

"Oh, no! I'm sorry. I didn't see you there…" The thin girl said with a shy smile, "My name's Beatriss. What's yours?"

"Emmett." He responded, and he could feel blush creeping into his cheeks. He shook it off, trying to look nonchalant. He wasn't used to getting attention from girls.

Beatriss lifted her eyebrows, immediately picking up on Emmett's awkwardness. She could see him trying to puff out his chest and look cool, but she could sense how vulnerable he was. He was perfect.

"Would you like to spar with me?" He offered, motioning to the swords.

Beatriss giggled. "I would love to, but tributes aren't supposed to fight with each other until they get into the arena."

"Oh, heh, I forgot." Emmett shrugged it off.

An awkward silence passed between them.

"Well…I'd better get back to training…" Emmett mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"Okay…see you later…" Beatriss said quietly, forcing a smile. She turned and walked away. She could sense Emmett's eyes following her across the room. But she went with a heavy heart. This boy just wanted her for what she could do for him. He was like all the rest of them. But this time, she wouldn't flee like a scared mouse. She would release all of her anger and take him out.

Ember was also wandering the premise, seeking out a partner for her preplanned alliance. Unsure of whom to target, she decided to get some practice time in with a weapon. She quickly grew attached to the axe and felt immense satisfaction every time she swung it into the side of a defenseless dummy's head. But her confidence faltered when she saw Ivan wielding one.

With the firm hands of a District 7 tribute, he handled the axe with ease. Ember glared at him, watching him cut down dummies like there was nothing to it. _Show off. _She thought grumpily.

Ivan noticed her looking at them and offered her a smile, but she turned her back on him. He shrugged, put the axe back on a rack, and headed over to the edible plants station to work alongside Bentley. As soon as he settled down next to him, Bentley was off and heading to a different station. He seemed to prefer being alone, at the deserted ones. He tried hand-to-hand combat and proved to be very poor at it.

_Well, as long as I can get my hands on an axe, everything will be fine. _He told himself. Bentley had always been in charge of gathering firewood for his family. He had chopped quite a few trees down. But little did he know, two other tributes were also targeting the axe as their main weapon.

After parting ways with Jarek, Kalin had moved on to meet up with his last recruit for the day: Amara. She was by herself, hanging from the rope ceiling, trying to climb it. She was actually doing quite well. Kalin stopped beneath her, grinning up at her.

"Hey." He greeted, "Remember me?"

Amara dropped down from the ceiling, landing perfectly on her feet. "Hi Kalin." She greeted. "Is there something you want…?"

"I'd like to talk to you about something…" He explained his plan for the second time that day, making sure to cover all of the points such as why they were doing this and what would happen if it came down to their alliance.

Amara listened quietly, an unreadable expression on her face. She was quietly weighing the options in her head. Amara hated large crowds, always feeling that they would judge her. But at the same time, she loved to help people. And she had wanted to get in on alliance from the start…just not one so big.

But she looked at Kalin's friendly green eyes, and somehow she knew, he wouldn't judge her. He would be a great ally to have on her side.

"Okay." She agreed, smiling at him, "I'll join your alliance."

Kalin grinned. "Awesome."

Later, when Ember was just about finished with axe training, she noticed a chubby girl being taught how to throw a knife by a kind-faced trainer. The girl looked nervous and unsure of herself. Ember snorted. _How useless. _But she watched the exchange with interest. When the trainer left, Ember moved in.

"Hey. Need any help?" She asked Hera with false sweetness.

"Oh, no thank you…" Hera said, looking slightly panicked at this unwanted approach, "The trainer showed me how to do it."

"Hm. That's nice. Anyways, I was wondering if you'd like to form an alliance with me. I've been searching for a friend all day, but no one else is interested in being my ally…" Ember sighed dramatically. "So what do you say?"

"No thank you." Hera said once more, "I'd prefer to be on my own."

Ember narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Really? And you _actually _think you stand a chance like _that_?" Ember gave a cruel laugh. Hera's face turned bright red. "C'mon, honey, I'm doing you a favor here…"

"I said no." Hera said, her voice trembling.

"Well guess what?" Ember snarled, "No isn't an option! You're going to be in an alliance with me whether you like it or not! Got that?"

"Okay." Hera squeaked.

Ember grinned. "Great. I'll see you after the gong rings, if you make it out of the Bloodbath." Then she swaggered off in the direction of the weight-lifting station.

Hera bit back tears. _What have I gotten myself into?_

**REMEMBER TO SUBMIT YOUR SCORES IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY! There are still 9 tributes that need it. I'm not going to update until the end of the week, so you have plenty of time to get them in.**

**By the way, I put up a new poll on who you think is going to win. As for the Jerk Dad of the Year award…congratulations Mr. Thrett! You won! Unfortunately, you're dead, so we'll have to give the plaque to Monsieur Le Bel, who came in second place. Third place was Mr. Kazankov. At first I thought Ivan's dad should have won over Saffron's, but then I realized that I would rather have my dad beat me up than kill my cats/dogs/parakeet/guinea pig/turtle/fish. So I think this placing is pretty accurate. Runners up (in order) were Emmett's dad, Seth's dad, and then Kelsea's dad. Hapi's and Ember's didn't get any votes.**


	11. Training Part 2

**Phew...it's been a long day. And this is a long chapter. I hope you enjoy it.  
**

**Also, here's a funny story for you. At my job I accidentally called one of the kids Bridon. I didn't even realize it. He just looked at me and he's like "…You called me Bridon." And I'm just like "WHAT OMG I'm so sorry I meant Brayden!" In my defense, he DOES look like he could grow up to be Bridon. Minus the desensitized killer part.**

The next day of training was spent much like the first. Everyone spent it either checking out new skills or going back and practicing their old ones. Scarlet, who had spent yesterday figuring out which weapon was best for her, had decided to try her hand at making fire. The trainer was mysteriously absent from the station, perhaps having stepped out for a break. So Scarlet grabbed two sticks and started ferociously rubbing them together.

A pale boy came wandering by and paused to observe her, shaking his head. "You're going about it all wrong. Here…initially you must build a tinder nest."

Scarlet looked at him with wide eyes. "Umm and who are you?"

"My name is Seth." He mumbled, grabbing up dry grass, leaves, and bark to pile them together. He started rubbing the two sticks together for her, unaware that she was completely ignoring the process and staring at him.

"I'm Scarlet!" She responded cheerfully.

Seth said nothing in response. He was muttering the directions to build a fire under his breath. Finally, he managed to form an ember. He dropped it into the pile of tinder and gently blew on it. And thus, fire was born.

Scarlet applauded. "That was cool! Where did you learn to do that?"

"I absorbed the information from a book." Seth answered stiffly.

"Do you know how to do anything else? It looks like there are tons of ways to make fire. You can use flint—ooh! That one says you can make fire from ice if you-!"

"Hello." Scarlet turned to see Kalin strolling up to her, looking quite friendly.

"Oh! Hello." She smiled, "Would you like to learn how to build a fire?"

Kalin shook his head. "Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you about something."

"About what?" Scarlet asked curiously, "Can my friend Seth come?"

"Uh, friend?" Seth echoed, looking confused. He thought the definition of friend was something along the lines of "a mutual bond of affection." He had just met this girl. He definitely wouldn't have called her his friend.

Kalin stared at Seth, scrutinizing him. Seth stared back. "Can he be trusted?" He asked in a low voice.

Scarlet nodded.

_You just met me, woman! _Seth groaned inwardly. But before he could say anything, Kalin launched into the description of his plan. As he spoke, he could see Scarlet starting to get excited. Seth remained emotionless, but when he had finished covering each point, he was the first one to speak.

"I've been analyzing my options for a long while. But I believe that this alliance would contribute greatly to my chances of survival. So I would like to put in a formal request to join you."

"I think he said yes." Scarlet giggled, "And I say yes too! I've been having nightmares that I'm stuck in the Hunger Games without weapons or food. But we'll all have each other's back if we're in this alliance together, right?"

"Right." Kalin said firmly, "We're definitely gonna try our best to distribute weapons around, and the food with be shared equally. We're in this together, after all."

Scarlet smiled and snuck a glance at Seth. His face was still emotionless, but now, she thought she could see a spark of determination alighting in his eyes…

The morning dragged on.

Hera was in a terrible mood. She had been roped into an alliance she wanted nothing to do with. Surely, this girl called Ember would hunt her down to partner up with her as soon as they got into the arena. She didn't know why, but Ember scared her. She tried to keep her mind busy by working at various stations. At one point, the boy from District 11 had approached her and said something about joining an alliance. Thinking it was some sort of cruel joke, she just turned and walked away without a word.

Then, for the fifth time that day, Hera noticed Hapi standing off to the side of the training center. He had been doing that yesterday too—just leaning casually against the wall, staring other tributes down. Fed up with his voyeurisms, she marched right on over to him and confronted him.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to train?" She asked, motioning to all of the other tributes that were hard at work.

A grin slowly stretched across Hapi's face. "I am training." He told her innocently.

Hera narrowed her eyes disbelievingly. "You're just wasting time."

Hapi chuckled. "I'm not wasting time at all. Here, look…" He pointed directly at the large boy from District 11. Kalin. "That boy has been running around talking to many different tributes. He's probably trying to gather up an alliance. Also, he excels at using a bow and arrow, but is surprisingly clumsy when it comes to hand-to-hand combat." Next, he pointed at Zane, the male Career from District 2. "He's highly skilled with a sword, as are a few other Careers. A long-ranged weapon would be handy for dealing with him and his companions." He was starting to pick out another example, but Hera cut him off.

"Okay, I get it. This _is _training, in a way."

Hapi's eyes shone. "I already know what I'm capable of. The next step is to find out what my enemies are capable of."

Hera felt a chill crawl up her spine. She swallowed nervously, then asked, "Have you been watching me, too…?"

Hapi's grin widened. "I've been watching _everyone_," was his answer.

Feeling seriously creeped out, Hera decided to leave it at that.

_Okay… _Tiger-Lilly thought to herself, taking deep breaths, _It's time to stop putting this off. Time to join the Careers! _She could see them crossing the room, headed for the hand-to-hand combat station. She started walking towards them, planning to intercept them.

But as they were passing the weights station, Saffron tripped over a stray weight. He didn't fall flat on his face or anything, and no one had even noticed except Tiger-Lilly. He merely was thrown off balance and staggered a few steps. But nonetheless, he whipped around to face the tribute that was currently lifting weights. Ivan.

"What is the meaning of this?" Saffron demanded, "How dare you leave these weights lying askew! I could have easily twisted my ankle."

Ivan's eyes were wide and apologetic. "Da, I didn't realize, I'm so sorry…"

"Da? What is this drivel you spout?" Saffron growled. As it dawned on him that Ivan was Russian, his scowl changed into a full-on snarl. "Oh, how degrading. A mongrel like you hasn't even the right to speak to me."

Ivan's face darkened. "You say one more word to me and I will spread your entrails all across the training center." He told Saffron, a threatening smile spreading across his face. It looked more like he was baring his teeth at him.

Saffron's jaw dropped. "How dare you!" He gasped.

"Zacroy rot a poshyel k chyertu, mudak!" Ivan hissed, a proud smirk on his face.

Though he didn't understand Russian, Saffron knew when he was being insulted. "Ne se moquent de moi!" He spat, "You don't even have the right to be here! Go back to Russia and drown in your vodka, why don't you? You filthy mong—"

Without warning, Ivan threw himself at Saffron, tackling the racist aristocrat to the ground. The Careers were upon them before the trainers could even react, prying Ivan off of Saffron. Zane and Ravish hauled Ivan off of him, but the older boy tore away and retreated a few steps, panting heavily. The satisfaction was clear in his eyes. He didn't regret a single thing.

Kelsea and Baye had helped Saffron to his feet. "Confound you!" Saffron exclaimed, taking a threatening step towards Ivan. Kelsea and Baye struggled to hold him back. He glowered at Ivan, as if he were preparing to spring at him.

But the trainers intervened, saying, "Break it up, break it up…"

They managed to get the two boys to head their separate ways. Everyone else, seeing that the confrontation between the Russian and the Frenchman had come to an end, returned to their training. Tiger-Lilly had frozen on the spot, her heart pounding nervously. Of course something like _that _had to happen right after she had finally bucked up the courage to approach them.

But she knew she couldn't fail Kalin. So she held her head high and strolled right on over to them. "Hey," She greeted. They had just gathered themselves up and didn't seem to take too kindly to her presence. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Saffron."

"As am I." Saffron sighed dramatically, "But I should have expected it, coming from one of his background."

The rest of the Careers were looking at her with suspicious eyes.

"Anyways, I've been watching you guys. I know this is forward, but I want to join you."

Adrenaline gave a derisive laugh. "Are you kidding me? Why do you think we'd want _you_?"

Tiger-Lilly smiled mischievously. "Come on. I'll show you why." She led them back to the weapons section. Once there, she snatched up the throwing knives and proceeded to throw one after another at the target. She hit a bull's-eye. The rest managed to strike the target, but she never missed once. If the Careers were impressed, they didn't say so. Tiger-Lilly suddenly felt nervous.

"Dominic, Baye," Kelsea spoke up, "Why don't you take Tiger-Lilly over to the gauntlet and see how agile she is. Try out the climbing course too."

Tiger-Lilly brightened with hope. She was great at running and climbing. She gladly accompanied them to the courses. The rest of the Careers remained where they were.

"So…what do you guys think?" Kelsea asked.

"I don't trust her." Ravish said with narrowed eyes. "I say we let her join and kill her as soon as the Bloodbath is over."

"I agree." Kelsea nodded. "I've seen her being all buddy-buddy with her district partner on occasion. I don't think she'd just ditch him like that."

"Well, for some reason, she did. And now she wants to join us. Maybe she could serve as camp guard." Zane suggested.

"No," Ravish immediately wrote that idea off, "I was thinking Baye would be camp guard."

"Y'know…" Kelsea said quite suddenly, "I've been wondering what you guys think of Dominic. You think we should kill him after the Bloodbath too?"

Everyone looked a bit surprised at this suggestion.

Adrenaline lit up with excitement. "Yeah! That sounds fun!"

Saffron frowned. "I acknowledge that he is weaker compared to the rest of us. But he also boasts some skill with a bow and arrow. And it would be dishonorable to kill one's own ally."

"Are you kidding me, Pretty Boy?" Kelsea rolled her eyes. "You do realize this is the Hunger Games we're talking about? Honor has nothing to do with it."

Before Saffron could respond, Zane spoke up. "We should keep Dominic. Even if he isn't as strong as us, he's still a Career and I'm sure he'll be able to pull his own weight." He looked at each of his teammates. "Ravish, what do you say?"

Ravish stood a little taller, glad to see that her opinion was valued. "We keep Dominic and Baye." She said firmly, "We kill Tiger-Lilly after the Bloodbath."

* * *

The third day of training included the tributes getting scored by the Gamemakers. They would each be presented to the judges and demonstrate whichever skill they deemed their best. Their scores were to be revealed later that night. They were ranked on a scale of 1 to 12, 12 being the best. Careers always scored among the highest and were therefore given the best odds.

Now, the tributes were waiting in a line outside the training room. They were to enter by order of district…poor District 12 wouldn't be going for a long time. But the lower districts were pleased, currently standing at the front of the line, raring to get started.

"Saffron Le Bel." A woman called, looking at a schedule in her hand.

"Excellent." Saffron said tersely, "Farewell, Blackwell. Best of luck."

"Yeah, you too." Ravish responded faintly, but she was barely paying attention to her surroundings. She was intensely focusing on what she would show to the Gamemakers.

Saffron entered the room, holding his head high, walking with perfect posture. The Gamemakers were seated up in a private box, observing him with interest. Saffron swept the room with his gaze, locating the line of weapons. He strolled over and picked up a one-handed katana with a slightly curved blade. Perfect.

"You!" He snapped suddenly, pointing a finger at one of the trainers on standby. The young man gave a jerk of surprise. "For my audition, I have selected you as my opponent. Be honored."

The trainer shrugged and went to grab a sword that mirrored Saffron's. The two stood in the center of the arena, facing off with one another. The Gamemakers signaled for them to begin, and Saffron sprang at the trainer. He moved with a graceful sort of agility. The sword stroked the air as if it were a paintbrush, wielded by an artist. A few times, the trainer forced Saffron to go on the defensive, but he managed to block every blow that came his way. Finally, he disarmed his opponent and the trainer's sword clattered to the ground.

Saffron gave a pleased laugh and turned to face the Gamemakers, sweeping into a deep bow. "Only the best from a Le Bel!" He announced dramatically, pointing his sword at the onlookers, "Carve it into your soul!"

The Head Gamemaker's lips curled up in an amused smirk. She was resting her chin on folded hands, gazing at the boy thoughtfully. Saffron returned the smile, confident that he had been exemplary. Then, with one last flourish, he left the room.

Ravish came in next. Practically skipping with excitement, she headed on over and snatched up a rapier. It was a type of sword mainly used in fencing. She selected a female trainer that was similar in stature as her opponent. Both took up their weapons and faced one another.

Ravish's sword was a blur as she slashed and jabbed at the trainer. She was so fierce; the trainer struggled to block her blows, retreating backwards to avoid being impaled. Ravish, meanwhile, was a lethal mixture of speed and strength. The entire time, she whistled a cheerful tune, enjoying every second of it.

The battle didn't last long. With a powerful thrust, she broke through the trainer's defenses. The tip of her sword stopped an inch from her opponent's heart. "I win." Ravish said in a singsong voice. She hadn't even broken a sweat—there wasn't a hair out of place. Smiling at her perfect demonstration, she curtsied and thanked the Gamemakers for having her.

The Head Gamemaker grinned and said, "Thank _you_."

That left her feeling good. She could see the way they were looking at her…she had met their expectations. Everything had gone perfectly. But as she left the room, she couldn't help but critique herself, wondering if she should have done differently. _What if it wasn't enough? What if they didn't like my whistling? What if I offended them without realizing it? _But she took a deep breath and told herself to calm down. She had performed exceptionally. Now, she just had to make it through these next few strenuous hours while waiting to hear her score…

Zane nodded to Ravish as they passed by one another, but she didn't seem to be in there. He tried to ignore his nerves, telling himself that he had practiced this stuff over and over again—there was no way he wouldn't nail it.

As he entered the training room, Zane flipped his switch. He became deadly and determined. He grabbed a sword, a broadsword to be exact, and flew at the nearest dummy. It was torn to shreds within seconds. He could hear one of the trainers mutter something about having to replace the dummies too often, but Zane ignored him, completely engrossed in his performance. With each swing of the sword, with each dummy that was sliced apart, his heart grew with excitement. He saw himself in the Games, cutting down his competition. He could almost see the blood flying…

Even when all of the dummies had been destroyed, Zane kept going. He charged over to the shelter station and started smashing up the day's work. Then he started running for the hammock station, to slice up that one too. One of the trainers shouted at him to stop, that he would be his opponent. As soon as a sword was in the man's hand, Zane redirected his fury. He ruthlessly threw himself at his opponent, clashing swords with him. Harsh clanging filled the room.

Not even a minute had passed, and the sword went flying from the trainer's grasp. It hit the ground and skittered out of reach. Zane brought his weapon back, as if he were going to plunge it into his opponent's heart.

"That's quite enough!" The Head Gamemaker shouted, "You may go."

Zane immediately calmed himself. He gave them a sincere thanks as a grumbling trainer led him towards the door. Some of the Gamemakers looked annoyed, but others looked impressed. He could only hope they would get over the damage to the room and reward him with a decent score.

Zane left the training center feeling good. But on his way back to his room, he kept thinking about his display, going through it over and over again in his mind. By the time he was back in his room, he felt miserable. _I did awful! I shouldn't have gone for the other stations like that. And my form was sloppy. What are the other Careers going to say when they see the low score I'll get?_

As soon as Zane was gone, Adrenaline went charging into the room. Trainers had to force her to leave because they weren't done rebuilding it. It took some convincing to get her to go. When she was back out in the hall, she fussed nonstop, banging on the door and yelling at them to hurry up in there. The woman with the schedule told her to calm down and be patient. She yelled, "Shut up lady!" and kept pounding on the door.

Finally, they let her in. "Name's Adrenaline Rush! Don't forget it!" She bellowed at the Gamemakers, pointing an accusing finger. She didn't wait to see their reaction and sprinted over to the wall of weapons. There it was…her weapon of choice. A saw. Only a saw could produce the amount of destruction and gore Adrenaline wished to bring upon the other tributes.

Laughing like a maniac, she tackled the nearest dummy to the ground and mercilessly sawed its head off. She did the same to each of the dummies, squealing with glee as she went. When she had destroyed each and every one, she turned to the trainers, flailing her saw at them. "I'm out of dummies! Anyone want to volunteer?"

"You may go, Adrenaline." The Head Gamemaker told her.

Adrenaline narrowed her eyes. "Already? Don't you want to see _more_?"

"That's quite enough."

Adrenaline let out a loud growl, threw her saw at the ground, and stomped from the room. The Gamemakers all exchanged a glance. "Well…she certainly has spirit!" One tried. A few chortled, but others rolled their eyes. When the trainers had finished cleaning up, Seth came in.

His face was calm as he selected a scythe off of the weapons rack. His muscles quivered with the effort of lifting it. The Gamemakers weren't looking too impressed. He acknowledged that anything he did would look weak next to the Careers' performance. _Oh, Districts 1 and 2, how I loathe thee…_

He dragged the scythe over to the gauntlet. Trainers took their places on the outer edges, wielding padded clubs. Seth swept his gaze over the course, analyzing it. His speed was his best weapon. This is what he would show them.

Even though the scythe slowed him down a fair bit, there was no denying he was fast. He rapidly annihilated each of the dummies with a few swings of the blade. Unfortunately, his agility was lacking, and the trainers managed to get in a few blows each. The moving platforms also tripped him up quite a bit. Seth was panting slightly and covered with bruises by the time he stepped off the other end of the gauntlet. He silently cursed himself for bringing the scythe with him. But his mentor had told him that the Gamemakers would be interested in seeing weapons training. Plus, it would ensure the presence of a scythe in the Cornucopia—well, usually.

_I do hope I've managed to impress them. _Seth thought as he exited the room.

Then it was Baye's turn. She was extremely nervous. This score was going to be shown to every single tribute. If she didn't score high enough, the Careers would wind up thinking she was useless. Taking deep breaths to calm herself, she entered the training center. Her hands were shaking as she snatched up a bow and strung an arrow. She could feel sweat trickling down the side of her face. She resisted the urge to wipe it off, highly aware of the scrutinizing gaze of the Gamemakers.

She lifted the arrow…took aim…and completely missed the target. _No! _She bit her lip, fighting the urge to start crying. _Focus, Baye! _She let another one fly, but once again, her shaky hands caused her to miss the target.

Feeling desperate, she called upon her inner fury. She reminded herself of the people who would shun her. Those that judged her because she came from a different district. And she brought forth the ferocity she had when striving to protect her loved ones. With Savannah's image in her mind, she strung another arrow. This time, it struck the target. It wasn't a bull's-eye—but it was still a good shot.

Baye let out her breath, trying to force her shoulders to relax. She shot two more arrows and each struck the target. After that, the Gamemakers dismissed her. Trying to remain emotionless, she put the bow away and exited the room without a word.

"How did you do?" Dominic's voice brought her back to her senses. He was looking at her with curious eyes. His ashen face made him appear nervous, but she realized he always looked like that.

"Um…!" Baye started to respond, but her voice wavered. She couldn't produce the words. She just shook her head and whimpered, "Good luck."

Dominic was called in a few minutes later. Once inside, he grabbed the bow and arrows too. He could see the Gamemakers exchange a bored glance and he realized that Baye must have done the same thing. _Well…not like I'm good at anything else. _He thought morosely, taking aim. He let the arrow fly and it sunk with a satisfying _thud_ into one of the human-shaped targets. But it didn't even strike the person's body. He tried again. This time, the arrow hit the arm of the target.

_That's not going to kill a tribute. _He sighed inwardly. An image of Kelsea appeared in his mind. She knew his secret. She knew he was useless. But maybe the other Careers, after seeing his terrible score, would still want him. _If Baye gets a better score than me, I'm doomed._

But he finished his audition with poise, getting in a few good shots by the end. He thanked the Gamemakers and left. He walked by Kelsea without a word. For some reason, he found himself wishing Ravish were his district partner. Seeing Ravish waiting for him would have been comforting. He didn't know why…but it would have.

Just by seeing Dominic's expression, Kelsea knew he had failed the group. Sighing inwardly, she waited until her name was called and went in. She noticed the Gamemakers looked a tad bored. Well, she would be sure to catch their attention.

Moving with grace, she headed towards the wall of weapons. She had made a special request for them to include stilettos and throwing stars. Back in District 4, Kelsea was often bored. When she wasn't training, she confined herself to her room and flung stars at her wall in order to relieve stress. She had become quite good.

So she snatched up a handful of them along with the stiletto knife. Then she strolled over to the gauntlet. Trainers were taking their places on the obstacle course, holding padded clubs. Kelsea scanned the area, locating their positions, along with where each dummy was. She dropped into a crouch, bunching her muscles together and preparing to spring. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Gamemakers perking up with interest.

Then, she was off. She threw a shuriken at the nearest dummy and it lodged firmly in the dummy's face. But she had no time to admire her work—she was already sending more flying through the air. She dodged around trainers, her eyes darting back and forth. The platforms beneath her moved up and down, but she managed to keep her balance. It was tough, but somehow, she managed.

Then, in a stroke of bad luck, the floor dropped out from under her just as a trainer lashed out with a club. It caught her on the shoulder and she staggered. He went to hit her again, but she blocked the second blow with her knife. She pulled away from him, trying to regain her balance. Once she had managed to collect herself, she leaped to the next platform and finished up without a hitch. She stopped at the end of the obstacle course and looked back.

_That definitely didn't end as well as it started. _She thought, sighing. She could see a few throwing stars had missed their mark. _Oh well, no one's perfect. I aimed high and performed exceptionally well. _

Without bothering to say thank you, Kelsea returned the weapons to their place and left the room. Not long after, Luke entered.

He decided to do the gauntlet too. He grabbed a short sword for good measure, although he mainly wanted to show the Gamemakers how nimble and athletic he was. He performed well, bounding from platform to platform and dodging the attacks from the trainers.

Luke didn't integrate his sword skills into it much, but at one point, he stopped and sliced up a dummy. The Gamemakers were looking pretty impressed by the time he was done. They thanked him and said he was free to go.

He left the room full of confidence. For a non-Career, he had done well.

Amara was feeling surprisingly confident. She felt that she was a lot better off than some of the other tributes around her. Being a Peacekeeper's daughter had its perks. Her mother had taught her a lot of basic self-defense and Amara was actually pretty good at hand-to-hand combat. When it was time to go, she walked into the training area with her head held high and politely greeted the Gamemakers.

The Head Gamemaker nodded at her in acknowledgement. Amara turned and walked over to the mass of dummies that had been set up. She threw herself at one, tackling it to the ground. Fighting moves raced through her mind as she took down each dummy.

"Wait!" The Gamemaker said quite abruptly.

Amara froze, seized by dread. _Oh no. What did I do wrong?_

"Are you doing hand-to-hand combat as your talent?" The woman asked, frowning.

Amara swallowed nervously and nodded.

"Okay. Then you should really try fighting one of our trainers. Dummies are okay for some weapons training, but pretty easy to take down since they don't fight back. Select your opponent." She motioned to a mass of trainers.

Trying to calm herself, Amara selected one of the smaller female trainers as her opponent. She sported blonde hair that reminded Amara of her mother. She could see muscles rippling under the woman's tight shirt.

The trainer attacked first, but Amara nimbly dodged. She went to punch her, but her opponent caught her hand and twisted it. Amara yelped, but she wasn't ready to give up. She threw herself at the woman, driving into her with the force of her body weight. There was an audible "Oof!"

Suddenly, Amara felt as if she were back home, engaging in a friendly fight with her mother. All of her nerves seemed to fall away. She quickened and became more sure-footed. It was a close match, and in the end, the trainer won. But Amara had done a great job, nonetheless.

"Thank you for having me." She told the Gamemakers, breathless.

They nodded and smiled. Amara could feel a warm glow come from within. Feeling hopeful that she had come away with a decent score, she exited the room. Roam came in after her.

As soon as he was in the room, he just stopped and stared at the Gamemakers up in their booth. They stared at him expectantly. He didn't move. "You may begin whenever you're ready." One reminded him.

He blinked, as if coming to his senses. Muttering an apology, he turned to face the trainers. He pointed at one of the larger trainers. "Umm…" Roam's face was turning red with effort. He couldn't find the words he needed to communicate.

Luckily, the trainer helped him along. "You want me to be your opponent?"

Roam nodded.

"For what?"

"Wr…wrest…" Roam felt like he was choking. His eyes glazed over as his mind wandered elsewhere.

"Wrestling? Sure thing, bud."

Roam jerked in surprise, as if he had just remembered where he was. He and the trainer took their places. Roam made the first move, barreling towards the trainer. The man easily grabbed ahold of him and forced him to the ground.

Roam had grown up in a house of boys. Wrestling one another was practically apart of their daily route, and thanks to this, Roam had become strong. But this man was far stronger. He was skilled at his work, and it showed. Roam struggled to break away, but the man's body weight pinned him to the ground.

Going limp with defeat, Roam gave up. The trainer began to remove himself, but with a great heave, Roam pushed up from the ground and threw him off. The man flew through the air. It was a dirty trick, but he had to do _something _to prove his strength. Immediately, the trainer was back on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. Roam floundered around underneath him.

At a word from the Gamemakers, the trainer stood up, helping Roam to his feet. He felt as if he wanted to apologize. Of course, he couldn't. The Gamemakers dismissed him and the best he could manage was a polite nod. Then he hurried from the room, feeling quite embarrassed.

Ember was practically the opposite. She radiated confidence as she swaggered over and picked up an axe. She heaved it at the nearest target. It sunk into the middle of it. Ember smirked and glanced at the Gamemakers, but they didn't look extremely impressed. Axes were quite large, and she had been close to the target.

Wanting to prove her worth, Ember retrieved the axe and threw it a few more times. Each time, she moved further away from the target. She screwed up and missed twice, but otherwise, she did decent enough. She left feeling confident. She was especially thankful that she had gotten to go after Roam, rather than before him. No doubt he made her look good…

Then came Ivan. Obviously, he went for the axe too. With amazing strength, he chucked his axe at a target, sinking it right into the middle. The distance he stood from the target put Ember's distance to shame. Ivan smiled, feeling pleased. He did this once more for good measure. Then he allowed himself a glance at the Gamemakers.

He could see their attention was wavering. They were sipping glasses of wine and a few of them were striking up conversations. Ivan felt like he needed to do something else, but chopping up dummies wasn't very impressive, and it wasn't like he could chop up a trainer. So he walked over to the trees that were at the camouflage station and started hacking away at one.

"Hey!" One of the trainers shouted.

With a few blows, Ivan had cut halfway through the thick trunk. Then the trainers appeared before him, protesting that he shouldn't do that. Smiling sheepishly, he allowed them to take his axe. The Gamemakers thanked him for his time and watched him leave the room.

"They never give us the strong stuff." The Head Gamemaker commented idly, sloshing her wine around in her glass and eyeing it disapprovingly.

"This would be more fun drunk." One of the others said dryly.

They shut up when the 12-year old Angela walked in. She went over and grabbed the axe. She wasn't very strong and could barely lift it off the rack. One of the Gamemakers groaned. This was around the point they got sick of watching the tributes audition. At least alcohol made it more bearable.

Angela hacked away at the dummies with the axe. She swung it at the ground heavily and struggled to pick it back up each time. The bored expressions in the booth infuriated her. She silently regretted choosing this as her talent, but it was too late to turn back now.

Silently fuming, she moved to where the targets were located. She heaved the axe with all of the strength she could muster. It flew through the air with little momentum. It didn't even manage to sink into the target and hit the ground with a loud thud. She tried once more, yet this time she was successful. When she was done, she looked to the Gamemakers for some kind of sign she had done well.

"Thank you." One drawled in a bored voice.

Angela glowered at them, biting her tongue. She had a few choice words she could have said to them, but that would only seal her fate in the arena. So she forced herself to walk away and leave the training area. She cursed herself for not choosing a skill based on her strengths. But even if she did come away with a bad score, at least no one would be expecting her to make it very far.

The Gamemakers returned to complaining about the wine, wondering when the attendants would bring in their buffet. Suddenly, they looked up, and there was Hapi. They hadn't even heard him come in. He was standing in the center of the arena, smiling up at them. When all eyes were focused on him, he turned and walked over to the wall of weapons.

His slightly unsettling edge seemed to command attention. The Gamemakers watched the red-haired Asian curiously as he snatched up the throwing knives. As if drinking in the suspense, he stroked the tip of a blade with his finger. Then he stood at a good distance from one of the human targets. He had gone over everything in his head in the days leading up to this. Measured the distance between targets. He was ready.

_Thunk!_

In one smooth movement, the knife flew from his grasp. It sunk into the human target's throat. If it were a tribute, they would have been dead on impact. He turned and walked steadily down the line parallel to the targets. Each time he stopped in front of it, visualizing what would happen next, seeing the path of the knife in his mind. After a moment of observation, the knife would go whistling through the air and sink perfectly into its mark—the throat.

When he had finished, he turned and bowed deeply to the Gamemakers. "Thank you," He said cordially, "It's been a pleasure."

Then he turned and left the room.

The Head Gamemaker was grinning. "Nice." Was all she said.

"Good luck." Hapi said lightly as he passed Hera in the hall.

She gave a small whimper in response and entered.

Hera had little to no talent. She had tried many of the stations over the past few days and had proved to be pretty awful at everything. She wasn't strong or fast. She couldn't handle the easiest of weapons. She couldn't even remember if juneberries were poisonous or not. The only thing she was good at was medical practices, thanks to her parents. And that wasn't even a station.

"Excuse me, but do you have a first aid kit?" She asked an attendant, pushing away her nerves.

The man looked slightly surprised but went and got it for her. She proceeded to open the kit and show the Gamemakers each thing inside, going over how to use each object.

"…And that's how you do a splint!" She finished, holding her arm up for everyone to see. "This is very important knowledge to have in case one gets injured in the arena." _Hint hint. Make it into a station. _She felt as if she had just finished presenting a school project to her class. The Gamemakers were smirking as they thanked her for her time.

Hera could feel her face turning red. She silently hoped that this would pass as an audition. She left the room and sent Emmett in after her.

Emmett held his head high as he selected a spadroon and a trainer to spar with. But even with all of the faked confidence in the world, he was no Career. He started off decent enough, but he seemed to weaken as the audition dragged on. The trainer disarmed him twice, although he was able to get in a few good blows at the beginning. But as he was overpowered, he felt more and more useless.

Without thanking the Gamemakers, he left the room, his mind swimming with criticism.

"How'd you do?" Scarlet asked as he walked by.

He didn't even spare her a glance.

"Okay. That's cool! Thanks for telling me!" She shouted at his retreating figure. The attendant let her into the room as soon as he was gone. For a moment, Scarlet stood there, wondering what she should do. She had put off deciding on a skill to show to the Gamemakers. _Oh wait! I know!_

Scarlet stepped over to the assortment of weapons lining the wall. In the past few days of training, she had discovered that she was quite good with a javelin. Her aim was decent and it was a good weapon that would allow her to be at a distance when attacking. She grabbed a few and moved to where the human targets were located.

_Okay! _She thought, summoning all of her energy and confidence, _Here I go!_

She flung the first javelin with all of her strength at the target. She had been aiming for the head of the dummy, but it fell short and the tip of it plunged into the stomach instead. _Not bad. _She acknowledged, sneaking a glance at the Gamemakers. They appeared stoic. They were focused on the door to their booth, as if awaiting something. Scarlet felt slightly annoyed.

She threw the last two javelins at the same target. One struck the surface but missed the outline of the tribute. The other stuck into the dummy's calf. She turned back to the Gamemakers, who seemed to only be half paying attention to her.

"Thank you!" She declared quite loudly.

The Head Gamemaker nodded in response and dismissed her.

Now, it was Jarek's turn…

_Don't freak out. _He told himself, taking deep breaths. He had been wondering what to show the Gamemakers. He was pretty strong for his size, but somehow he still felt like lifting weights wouldn't impress the Gamemakers. And he wasn't very good with weapons, but he had a lot of survival knowledge. His parents had drilled this into him, as if expecting him to wind up lost in the wilderness one day. Or better yet, the Hunger Games.

He decided to build a fire. Staying warm could mean the difference between life and death, especially if the arena were an extreme climate. He built a tinder nest, grabbed some dry wood, and got to work.

At this time, dinner was served to the Gamemakers. Servants came parading in with all sorts of food. The smell reached Jarek and made his mouth water, but he tried to stay focused. He ferociously rubbed the two sticks together until they produced the tiniest of sparks. A small flame lit up within the tinder and a thin stream of smoke came rising up. Beaming, he looked to the Gamemakers for praise. They were busy selecting their entrees. He looked back to his fire to see that it had already fizzled out.

The Head Gamemaker glanced at him and said, "You may go."

"Okay." Jarek said cheerfully, though he had a heavy heart. He hoped his talent would be good enough to get him at least one sponsor.

Galloway was up next. She hadn't managed to develop any major talents during the past few days of training. Still wishing that she could demonstrate her aim with a gun, she just settled for throwing spears. Disappointingly, she missed the target on the first go. Face reddening, she looked towards her judges, expecting to see grim expressions. Instead, they were laughing heartily, feasting on delectable foods and wine.

Feeling a tad frustrated, she threw a few more spears for good measure. Thankfully, they all sunk into the target. One was even close to the bulls-eye. A lucky shot. They let her go after that.

Kalin calmly entered after Galloway. He rolled his shoulders and shook his arms out, trying to loosen up. He looked at what the training center had to offer. He still couldn't decide what to do. He was muscular and strong, but he was also good at climbing. Somehow, he felt like the only thing that would impress the Gamemakers would be a demonstration with his best weapon. He paced along the rack, observing the bows. He selected a specific one and strapped it to his arm.

Then he approached the human-silhouetted targets and shot a few rounds at them. Sometimes, he hit vital body parts. Other times, his arrows completely missed the mark. His arm quickly became sore from holding it up and trying to aim. But he wouldn't have it any other way—he preferred a crossbow to any other weapon.

He cheerfully thanked the Gamemakers when he was done. Of course, they barely acknowledged him, most of them well on their way to becoming intoxicated. Kalin left, passing Tiger-Lilly on his way out.

"Good luck." He mumbled.

Tiger-Lilly could feel determination flood through her as she entered the training room. She _had _to get a good score to impress the Careers. So she decided to show off her knife throwing skills once more.

The Gamemakers seemed to be barely paying attention as she performed her skill for them. And it made her feel awful, because she felt like she had done a decent job. She had actually managed to get a bulls-eye—sure, she missed the target once, but that made up for it, didn't it?

But when she turned to look at the Gamemakers, they were all laughing quite loudly and feasting on the food they had been provided with. She stood there, waiting for them to notice her. After about a minute, they seemed to remember her presence and dismissed her from the room.

She left feeling hopeless.

Finally, it was time for the last district of the day.

Bentley came in. So far, Bentley had kept to the shadows. He hadn't interacted with the other tributes and never drew attention to himself. As the Capitol got to know the other competitors in this year's Games, his heart-wrenching existence had faded into the background behind memorable personalities. It seemed quite fitting that he would pick up the paintbrush at the camouflage table and start dabbing at his skin.

For a long while, he sat there, perfecting his new look. He painted himself to match the trees that had been provided. The Gamemakers barely paid him any attention. When he was done, he pressed himself against one of the trees. It shifted under the pressure and he realized someone had hacked at it with an axe. The Gamemakers suddenly stopped in the midst of their conversations to study him.

Bentley waited for some sort of praise or criticism. "Wash up before you leave." Was the only thing the Head Gamemaker offered. Then she returned her attention to her plate of veal marsala and garlic mashed potatoes. Bentley nodded, knowing he had to wipe away all traces of the skill he had performed.

After what seemed forever, he left, and it was time for the last tribute. _About time. _Beatriss thought, feeling impatient. She envied the earlier districts that had gotten to leave right away. Being stuck in this hallway for hours had been pure torture.

She strode in and headed towards the weapons wall.

"AGAIN wiffa wampones?" A drunken Gamemaker shouted. The others shushed him and told her to begin.

She hesitated, wondering if she should select the throwing knives or the longer ones that worked better for dueling. She had actually engaged a few men in brawls that had involved her pulling a knife on them. Sometimes, they needed some convincing to part with their money. So she grabbed one of the larger knives and politely requested a trainer to fight her.

She did all right. Truth was, she was pretty tired from waiting so long for her turn. And she was a good bit nervous too. Direct confrontations weren't really her thing. She much would have rather had snuck up on her adversary and taken them out quietly…

Beatriss swallowed her sadness as the distracted Gamemakers told her to go. As the door closed behind her, she could hear a round of clapping break out. They were glad to be rid of the tributes. _You'd think they'd hire people a little more enthusiastic about their jobs! _Beatriss thought ferociously, hitting the button on the elevator with her fist. The door opened and she rode it all the way to the top of the building, to the penthouse where District 12 resided.

She went to her room and stayed there, quietly moping for a few hours. She hated this new way of living she had picked out for herself. She was nothing but a toy of the Capitol. She thought living luxuriously would make this the best week of her life…but she only felt stress.

_You came here to escape. _Beatriss reminded herself, _Imagine if you actually win…all of those riches and no one to share it with. _

At some point, her escort called her to come to the common room. This was the part they would learn their scores from world-famous host Caesar Flickerman. Beatriss could feel her heart pounding, threatening to burst from her chest. She was vaguely aware of Bentley sitting on the same couch as her, but his face was calm, his chin resting lightly between folded hands.

The Capitol's seal appeared on the ridiculously large television screen and the anthem began playing. A few seconds later, it faded into a shot of Caesar. He was grinning broadly, his hair and lips a ghastly shade of lavender. It clashed with his usual blue, sparkling tuxedo. He said a quick greeting and proceeded to quickly cut to the chase.

"I'm pleased to announce that all of the scores have been determined by now…unfortunately…"

_Oh no. _Beatriss could feel the suspense building. _Unfortunately, what?_

"Unfortunately, the Head Gamemaker has come to an agreement with the President that we'll be doing things a bit differently this year. Instead of televising the scores, they'll be announced at the interviews so that we can see our lovely tributes' reactions!"

Beatriss suddenly felt cold. She looked over at her district partner. She could see Bentley's expression harden as Caesar's words sunk in. He didn't like it anymore than she did.

Now, they had all the more reason to dread the interviews.

**Google Translate is a wonderful thing, non? For those who didn't feel like looking up what each person said, Ivan said, "Shut your mouth and go to hell, a**hole." And Saffron responded with, "Do not mock me!" I really wanted a spat between the Frenchman and the Russian in there. And let's not forget about our resident Asian…that's coming soon!**

**Also wampones is one of my favorite words. Let's just say I had a friend back in my childhood who couldn't spell to save her life. **


	12. Interviews Part 1

**I hope no one gripes about the score they got! My sister helped me out with them based on the skill, since she has a mind for that sort of thing. A lot of scores were lowered, especially if the strengths listed in their profile didn't line up with what they were showcasing. Also because a lot of you asked for 7's and not everyone can get the same thing.  
**

**If you want to yell at me for something so trivial, go ahead. I would love to mix around my story plans in order to kill your tribute more swiftly. ;) Well, actually, I wouldn't. But I will if I must!**

The day before the Hunger Games. The day the tributes would speak out to Panem and have their scores declared in front of the nation, while all eyes were on them. Afterwards, they would attend a ball and feast upon the many foods the Capitol had to offer them. But for now, they were all just focusing on getting through the interviews…

The tributes were currently backstage, lined up in order of district. Stylists ran to and fro, making last minute adjustments. Ravish was currently at the front of the line, smoothing her dress, and readying herself for what was coming. The Capitol would fall in love with her. She would make sure of that.

She gave a half-hearted glance at the boy behind her. His arms were crossed and his chin was lifted defiantly, though he spoke to no one. He would make her shine even more, with his poor attitude. "So what angle did Channa pick out for you?" Ravish questioned innocently, "She told me to go out there and be sexy and seductive. But there's no way in hell I'm doing that." She rolled her eyes, remembering how her mentor had stooped so low as to flirt with Mr. Flickerman. Pathetic.

Saffron grimaced. "Bordeaux and I discussed many different angles I could have attempted. In the end, she said that we'd be better off sending out a decapitated cockroach to acquire sponsors. She left the room to find one and never came back."

Ravish stifled a laugh. Maybe Channa wasn't as bad as she thought. Before she could consider this idea any further, she could hear an explosion of cheering and Caesar's voice boom, "Hello citizens of Panem and welcome to the 43rd annual HUUUUNGER GAAAAAMES!"

It had begun. Ravish could feel her heart pounding with excitement. Her hands nervously fluttered to her hair, as she made a few last minute adjustments. She could hear him cracking a few jokes. Then she could hear her name being uttered. _Here we go…!_

"…And here she is! Our favorite for this year: Ravish Blackwell!"

Ravish's heart gave a great leap of joy. _Favorite! _She must have done well on her performance for the Gamemakers after all. She couldn't wait to hear her score. She came walking out in a white and gold dress, sparkling with diamonds. Heavy gold jewelry that matched her makeup and nails was wrapped around her neck and wrists. Her brunette hair was pulled down to the side, allowing her brown curls to be shown.

As she reached out to shake Caesar's hand, he snatched hers up and held it high.

"Coming away with a score of 10!" He bellowed.

Ravish positively beamed. The audience was going nuts. It took them a full minute to calm down. Then the interview began. Caesar leaned towards her and placed a hand on her knee.

"You know, Miss Blackwell, you've managed to make an impression on us from the very beginning. Ever since your Reaping…I don't think we'll soon forget the way you descended upon that other girl when she tried to steal the prize from you!"

The audience murmured appreciatively. Ravish smiled. "Well, there was no way I was going to let anyone stand in my way of achieving victory. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, I did that girl a favor. She wouldn't have made it past the Bloodbath."

The Capitol laughed and Ravish's smile broadened. She was _owning _them. Caesar flashed his perfect, toothy grin at her and gave a hearty chuckle.

"The show you gave us was absolutely fantastic. I trust that it's deterred quite a few tributes from approaching you…"

"Oh, I'm sure it has." Ravish replied.

"So what about the rest of your family? Are they as proud as the rest of Panem?" Caesar questioned.

"Of course!" Ravish said, feeling warmth at the thought of them, "I miss them very much, but they understand that to even have a chance of competing in the Hunger Games is an honor worth dying for."

Everyone clapped at this, their faces full of approval.

"I can't _wait _until tomorrow." She added, once everyone had quieted.

"Nor can I." Caesar agreed, "So can we expect another victory from District 1 this year?"

Ravish nodded. "As far as I'm concerned, District 1 is unstoppable."

"I'm sure the celebration there has been endless, after Miss Bordeaux's fantastic win from last year."

"Yes," Ravish said, slightly irked that he was bringing up Channa, "We were so proud to bring home a victory last year, but it's time to move on to the future now. I'm here, and I'm going to maintain that winning streak of ours, no matter the cost."

Everyone was screaming jubilance. The buzzer went off, marking the end of the interview. Caesar declared, "Ravish Blackwell!" raising her hand in the air once more, "Our favorite for this year!"

Ravish felt exuberated. She had scored a 10 and she had been deemed the favorite for this year. She had been memorable to the Capitol from the beginning. Everything was perfect.

She elegantly made her way to her seat in the front row of the audience. Out of the corners of her eyes, she could see her image blown up on large TVs stationed all over the place. She made herself comfortable and settled back to watch Saffron make a fool of himself.

"Let's meet the handsome Saffron Le Bel!" Caesar shouted with a dramatic flourish.

Saffron strolled out in a fancy light blue tailcoat with gold linings. He also sported a black vest, white pants, and high black boots. A bright red ribbon was tied around his neck. Caesar grabbed Saffron's hand and held it up just as he had held up Ravish's. The crowd was going wild once more.

"Coming away with a score of 9!"

Saffron's head whipped around to look at Caesar. His face was screwed up with disbelief, his mouth agape in astonishment. A scowl settled over his face as he sat down to begin his interview.

"I can tell you're displeased with your score…" Caesar began.

"Of course I am!" Saffron declared, "What trickery is this? I should have at _least _gotten a 10!"

Despite Saffron's rude tone, Caesar was grinning. "I'm sorry it didn't work out in your favor. Shall we change the subject?"

Saffron grumbled something in response that the microphone couldn't seem to pick up. The only word audible was, 'mongrels.'

"How are you enjoying the festivities the Capitol has to offer?" Caesar asked.

"It's all a waste of time. Nothing but a ridiculous charade of commoners, by commoners, and for commoners." Saffron answered angrily.

Caesar started cracking up. The Capitol joined him. "This boy is a hoot!"

"You seek to insult me, peasant?" Saffron growled.

Caesar just laughed harder, slapping Saffron on the back. He reached up and wiped away a tear. "Oh, this is too much. Peasant! Ha! If you win the Games, you should look in to becoming a comedian."

Saffron just sat there, looking confused. The throng of Capitol-dwellers was in an uproar, laughing hysterically.

"Anyways, I suppose you're eager to get into the Games, aren't you? What are you looking forward to the most?" Caesar asked, composing himself.

"Nothing." Saffron said bluntly.

The audience laughed once more. But some could be seen exchanging glances, wondering if this District 1 tribute was serious or not. Caesar just smiled. "You're a strange one, all right."

"You seek to mock me, but it is _you _who possesses the purple hair." Saffron shot back. Caesar and the rest of the Capitol returned to cracking up.

"Let me try and get in one more question before I completely lose it. Saffron, I seem to recall that, at your Reaping, you stated you had no desire to be here. So what exactly made you volunteer?"

A change seemed to come over Saffron. His eyes clouded with regret and his posture sagged slightly. "…There was no other choice." He said softly, knowing that he must respect his father's wishes.

"What…?" Before Caesar could get out another word, the buzzer cut him off. It was time to move on to the next district. "Ladies and gentlemen, Saffron Le Bel!" He announced once more, both of them rising to their feet.

Saffron strutted off the stage, all of his arrogance restored. He took his place next to Ravish as she gazed at him curiously. But they exchanged no words and turned to see Adrenaline barreling onto the stage. She wore a jet-black mini dress and had spiked jewelry all over her body. Her stylist had also etched some frightening tattoos into her skin. It looked like she had blood dripping off of her fake scars and tiny chains wrapped around her exposed skin. Her blush and eye shadow were gray and her lipstick was a bright red that stood out on her face. She looked quite fearsome.

She waved her arms up and down, trying to get the Capitol to scream even louder. They did and she couldn't have been more pleased. She ran a victory lap around the stage, as if she had already won the Games. A camera focused on the District 1 tributes and showed a shot of them looking quite annoyed. Finally, Caesar managed to catch her arm and hold it up, declaring that she had scored a 7.

"WHAT!" She shrieked, ripping her arm away from the host. For a moment it seemed as if she were going to attack him. Instead, she turned to glare at the booth the Gamemakers resided in. "Why did you only give me a 7?" She demanded, shaking her fist at them. She was about to go as far as to flip them off, but she decided against it. She had to keep reminding herself that they were in charge of what went on the arena. So she forced herself to deal with it and started the interview.

"I know I'm not supposed to ask what happened in the training room…" Caesar said slowly, glancing at the Gamemakers, "But we're all dying to know. Could you give us a hint?"

"I displayed some awesome skills with my best weapon." Adrenaline responded huffily. "But I still don't know why—"

"What weapon did you use?"

"Sorry, you'll have to wait until we're in the arena to find out." Adrenaline smirked.

"I'm sure you're excited for tomorrow, too?" Caesar wondered.

"Duh!" Adrenaline exclaimed, brightening, "I'm am sooo excited! The Bloodbath is always the best part. I'm gonna try and rack up as many kills as possible. Maybe I'll set some sort of new record." The crowd made some sounds of approval and burst into a round of applause. Adrenaline grinned and held herself a little higher. "Yeah, I've got this competition in the bag!" She proclaimed over the noise.

The buzzer rang for her interview to end quite early. "What! Already?" She screeched angrily.

"I suppose it was due to your shenanigans from earlier." Caesar spoke cheerfully, "But don't worry, Miss Rush, we won't be forgetting you anytime soon. Adrenaline Rush, folks! She'll prove to that she deserves a higher score than 7!"

After that remark, and the loud response from the audience, Adrenaline couldn't stay mad. She wriggled with glee and waved to her adoring fans before leaving the stage, then took her place next to Saffron and casually threw an arm around his shoulder. He sidled away from her, quietly slipping out of her grasp.

Zane came out next in a simple charcoal suit with a silver tie. He looked very handsome.

"Aww, it's such a shame he had to go and figure out I had a boyfriend." Adrenaline whined, "All of you Career boys are so yummy."

Saffron cast a horrified glance at Ravish, but she was absorbed in what was happening onstage. She really wanted to see if any of the other Careers could pull off an interview that rivaled hers. Zane was pretty sane compared to the others, so it seemed likely that he would have a good one.

"Zane Ronan, scoring a 10!" Caesar announced jovially.

"Darn it!" Ravish shouted, pounding her fist on the arm of her chair.

Zane looked extremely relieved. As they began their interview, he let out a big sigh, saying how happy he was to find out that he had done well. He had convinced himself he would wind up with the lowest of scores.

"Yes, it can be very nerve-wracking." Caesar agreed, "But why did you think you performed so poorly? You're a Career! Most of your competitors can't boast of the training you've received."

"True," Zane nodded, "But I've always been somewhat of a perfectionist. It's never enough. You know what I'm saying?"

Caesar looked sympathetic. "I think many of us can relate to that. But you don't have to worry, Zane. We're all very impressed with your 10."

Zane smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Flickerman. It's definitely boosted my confidence."

"I think you'll go far, Mr. Ronan. What do you think?" Caesar questioned, "Can District 2 steal the crown from District 1 this year?"

Zane cast a quick glance at his fellow Careers. "Anything can happen in the arena. No one can come up here and say for sure whether they're going to win or not." He could see scowls settling over the two girls' features. "But I'm a serious contender," He went on, "Don't underestimate me just because I don't have the usual Career ego."

Everyone started clapping at this. Zane's heart lifted. Maybe he wasn't the favorite for this year, but he had managed to acquire the same score as her. And he would be remembered for being modest, yet confident. District 2 couldn't have asked for a better representative.

"I'm gonna do what it takes to win!" He announced, pumping his fist up and down. The noise volume doubled as Caesar announced, "Zane Ronan!"

Next up, Baye stepped out in a frilly green dress. When she saw the countless citizens that had gathered before the stage, she hung back. Caesar stepped forward and led her out, declaring that she had scored a 5. Her insides froze at this. _Oh no. Oh no. _5 was not good enough. What would the others say? Would they kick her out of the alliance? Or worse, kill her out of nowhere?

"So, Baye…" Caesar said, motioning for her to sit down. Her legs were shaking. She practically collapsed into the chair. "I understand that you used to live in District 4."

Baye's heart just about stopped. _It just gets worse and worse! _She screamed inwardly. She could see the Careers exchanging surprised glances, as if this proved her suspicious tale. "Um…yes…" She managed to choke out after a long hesitation.

"Does this mean you've had a fair bit of training?" Caesar urged. She wished he would change the topic. She didn't want everyone to know her secret.

"I…I was very young…when we left…" She squeaked out.

"That's interesting." The host remarked, "I'm very curious to know how you managed to get away with breaking the law. And obviously, since you were reaped, you managed to change citizenship. Perhaps your family has connections." He paused, as if waiting for some confirmation.

Baye didn't say anything. She had never really thought about it. Perhaps that's why they were so poor. Or maybe her father had connections she didn't know about, though she highly doubted that. If she made it out of the Hunger Games alive, she promised herself that she would look into the matter further.

"Well, enough about that. It was very kind of you to volunteer for your friend at the Reaping." Caesar said gently.

"Oh, yes…Savannah." Baye said quietly, "She wasn't happy with me at all."

"Well, it's a very tough competition to win. But who knows how far she could have made it? Perhaps it's better that you came, being from District 4 and all."

"Maybe." Baye mumbled. But it's not like she had any professional training. She was definitely no District 4 tribute.

"Baye Johnson!" Caesar announced dramatically, "You can take the girl out of the Career district, but you can't take the Career district out of the girl!"

Even though it hadn't been a very exciting interview, these words got the audience riled up and it ended on a good note. Baye hurried to her seat, eager to get out of the spotlight. Now, it was Seth's turn. She had barely interacted with him ever since joining up with the Career alliance. She was interested in what he would have to say.

"Our District 3 male—Seth Strider! Scoring a 7 in training!"

Seth walked slowly across the stage, his blank face betraying no reaction at learning his score. He wore a midnight blue tuxedo with light blue stripes running all over it. Energy seemed to crackle through the stripes, giving his outfit a soft glow. Caesar shook his hand and they took their places.

"So Mr. Strider…tell me, just how are you going to win these Hunger Games?" The host asked, cutting straight to the chase. He leaned forward in his seat slightly, looking very interested in hearing what the tribute had to say.

"Well…I boast the qualities of a demon of speed." He said, thinking of his parents. Were they watching him now?

"You're fast?"

Seth nodded in confirmation.

"That's funny that you should say that. Last year's District 3 male was also very fast. I think we all remember what happened to him…"

Seth turned his head and saw one of the large TV screens contained the image of a lanky, red-haired boy. In slow motion, the boy leapt from his platform and was blown to bits. Seth's eyes widened ever so slightly. He could hear a low chuckling coming from the audience. "I can assure you that there will be no such miscalculation on my part." Seth answered smoothly.

Caesar grinned and the image on the TV disappeared. "That's what we like to hear. So! I trust you're enjoying your time in the Capitol. It's a lot fancier than District 3, isn't it?"

"The Capitol is merely the setting of an artificial existence." Seth said blankly, "The humans here have no concept of life or death. They see us as mere puppets. We are new toys that lose their luster after engaging in play for about a month. Then we are thrown away, into a forgotten landfill of memories that no longer—"

"Okay, thank you for your input!" Caesar said quickly, changing the subject, "How are you getting on with the other tributes? You seem more like the loner type to me, but…any thoughts?"

Seth cast his gaze towards the audience, where a few of the tributes were located. Then he turned to stare backstage, where the rest of them were waiting. "People cannot win against their loneliness." He mused.

Caesar glanced towards the audience and forced a laugh. Everyone just stared. Others smirked, and exchanged glances that said, _what is this kid on, and where can I get some? _

In the silence, Seth turned to the Careers and started addressing them. "When did you forsake yourselves? Why are you going along with this twisted form of entertainment? Your very lives are…"

Before he could go on, the buzzer cut him off. Caesar looked relieved. He quickly ushered Seth off of the stage while the audience clapped respectfully in his wake. He sat down next to Baye; immune to the glares he was receiving from further down the row.

Then Kelsea appeared in a flowing, navy blue dress with a white ribbon around her waist and white gloves that reached up to her elbows. She wore shining pearl bracelets, earrings, and a necklace. They complimented her deep red lipstick and shiny white eye makeup. As for her hair, it was pulled up in an intercut bun of fishtail braids. Her stylist had done a wonderful job indeed, and she was met with a huge response from the crowd.

When they had settled, Caesar shouted, "Kelsea Cutthroat, scoring a 9!"

Kelsea blinked. _Eh. Good enough. _

"So Kelsea…" The man began, sitting down beside her, "How are you doing? Feeling a tad homesick?"

"No." She answered stiffly.

When she didn't elaborate, Caesar pointed out how pale she was. "You're not the usual tanned tribute we get from District 4."

"That's just a stereotype." She said in a bored voice, stifling a yawn. She just wanted to get this over with.

"Well, there is some truth behind every stereotype." Caesar shrugged. "Anyways, I had one question on my mind…ah, yes. Your parents' reaction at your Reaping. I can see this wasn't planned, was it?"

A TV ran a quick clip of her volunteering, but it had no sound. Still, she could see her parents' astounded expressions when she walked up to the stage. "No, it wasn't." She said through gritted teeth.

She could sense disappointment radiating off of the audience in waves. But she didn't want to go into detail.

"Well, either way, I'm sure they're proud of their brave daughter. What part of the Games are you most excited for?"

Kelsea perked up a little bit at this change of subject. "All of it. Most of all, the reward that comes with victory."

"Oh, yes? And if you were to win, what would you do with all of those riches?"

Kelsea shrugged. "We'll see." She could care less about the amount of money. The main reward was moving away from her parents and being with Gillbert. At the thought of him, her heart ached. She didn't even hear Caesar's next question. Thankfully, the buzzer saved her.

"Well, I suppose that's all the time we have." Caesar said, sounding disappointed.

Kelsea took his hand and gripped it in hers. "I'll tell you everything you want to know in a few weeks—when I get back from winning the Hunger Games."

The host's face filled with delight and the audience applauded her brave words. She turned and strolled off of the stage, head high. The process of the interview had been boring, but she had saved face with this last statement. She had left a good impression.

Then Dominic stepped out nervously, fidgeting in a navy jacket with big gold buttons, and matching pants with gold rope piping down the sides of it. A big, gold anchor shone on his chest. Caesar gave an appreciative laugh when he saw it. "Dominic Goldanchor!" He told the audience, "With a score of 6!"

6 really wasn't that good, especially for a Career. But Dominic felt immensely relieved. He had beaten Baye, and he was right behind Adrenaline.

"Mr. Goldanchor, first of all, I'd like to compliment you on your outfit…that's very clever indeed…" Caesar started off, pointing at the crest on Dominic's jacket.

"Thank you very much." Dominic answered politely. He fiddled with one of his golden buttons, trying to stay calm.

"You know, it's so strange that we have two pale tributes from District 4! Don't you think so?" Caesar asked, turning to face the audience. They shouted in agreement. "Forgive me for saying so, but I thought _everyone _in that district was tanned."

Dominic frowned. "Oh. Well, I don't have a job fishing. And I prefer to stay inside." He didn't elaborate on why. He was grateful when Caesar said it was time to change the subject.

"So, let's think back to the Reaping. When they called your name, you ran. Why?"

Dominic winced. Elaborate lies raced through his mind. _I was so excited, I wanted to run to my dad and give him a hug. No—I was going to go to the back of the crowd, run down the aisle and do a few flips. _But it came out as, "I…don't know why I did that. That's just what happened."

He knew he couldn't tell the world the truth. He couldn't let them know that he was sick. The Hunger Games were a death sentence for him.

"I seem to recall your father asking if anyone would volunteer…" Caesar mused.

Dominic swallowed. "He didn't want to see me go."

"I think that goes for your dog too."

"Oh yeah…" Silver had been barking and trying to get to Dominic at the Reaping. His heart softened at the thought of the dear husky. He missed him so much.

"Well, the only way to see them again is to win and get home. Do you have what it takes?" Caesar asked. Silence followed his words. Dominic could sense every pair of eyes on him, waiting for an answer.

…_No. No I don't. _

Then the buzzer went off. He could hear everyone in the crowd mumbling about him. Where was his confidence? Wasn't he supposed to be a Career? He couldn't stand it. He felt as if he were going to throw up. He was far too grateful to leave the stage to Amara.

She appeared in a strapless, silver sequined dress that faded to white at the bottom, around her knees. She wore white heels and had a large, silver bow wrapped around her waist. Her black hair fell around her face in thick, shiny curls.

"Amara Lynn Keeler, with a score of 6!" Caesar announced, grasping her hand in his.

She smiled and waved to the audience. They seemed to like her a lot more than she would have thought. _I didn't think they'd be so enthusiastic about the tributes from non-Career districts… _

Caesar launched right into the interview, complimenting Amara on her score and outfit. "I'm sure you're quite pleased?"

"Of course!" Amara beamed, looking towards the Gamemakers, "Thank you so much!"

Caesar returned her grin. "Well, aren't you a bundle full of energy! Are you nervous at all for the Games tomorrow?"

"No, I'm not." Amara answered in a confident voice, "I'm going to try my best and see where that gets me. There's no way I'm going down without a fight!"

The audience burst into a round of applause. But inside, Amara knew she wasn't as sure as she sounded. She hated being in the spotlight and she hated talking about how she truly felt…this was all just a front her mentor had given her.

"And what does your Peacekeeper mother have to say about all of this? I'm sure she's very proud to see her daughter in the Capitol!"

Amara's smile faltered ever so slightly at this. But she quickly regained herself. She knew everyone was wondering how a Peacekeeper had gotten away with marrying and having a daughter. But she told them the truth. "She's not really my mother. I'm adopted."

The host's eyes widened. "Oh, forgive me…I was just curious how all of that came to be." The audience murmured in agreement, their innumerable faces brimming with curiosity.

"No problem." Amara told him, "It's a long story."

"Well, we only have three minutes for each interview, so you'll have to tell us the short version."

Amara searched for words. "When I was young, I ran away from the orphanage I lived in. I broke out of the window and kept running until I met a Peacekeeper named Cleo. But she was kind to me. The next day, she went back to the orphanage and asked to adopt me. And she's been the best mother I could ask for, ever since."

There was an audible sigh from the crowd. Some began to clap, and everyone else joined in. Amara bowed her head graciously. Caesar actually put his arm around her and pretended to wipe away a tear.

"I'm so grateful to her." Amara added quietly.

"I'm sure you are!" Caesar agreed.

"Running away from the orphanage is a lot like the Hunger Games for me," Amara went on in a strong voice, "Both have caused me struggles and pain, but in the end, it will be worth it. As long as I can be with my mother again."

Cheering filled the air, drowning out the sound of the buzzer. Caesar ferociously shook her hand, bellowing her name with vigor. He was grinning from ear to ear. Amara smiled and waved once more, hoping that this would get her a good amount of sponsors. Then she left the stage to her district partner, Luke.

He was wearing a gray suit and black, thick-rimmed glasses that seemed to bring out his eyes. He coolly crossed the stage and shook Caesar's hand, his dark eyes calm. Caesar declared that he had gotten an 8 in training and a small smile crossed his face.

"You know, that's _very _good for a non-Career tribute." The host told him when the interview began.

"I know." Luke answered quietly, "I'm very happy with it."

"District 5 certainly is a force to be reckoned with, this year."

"Yeah. We are." Luke said, looking at Amara. She smiled nervously.

"So, Mr. Haze…what is it about you that makes you so special? How are you going to win these Games?" Caesar asked.

Luke paused to think carefully about his answer. "I'm analytical," He told the host, "I'm good at coming up with plans and I know how to execute them." He avoided mentioning his skill with a sword and didn't bring up how athletic he was. Then again, his muscles spoke for themselves.

Caesar was nodding as he considered this. "If I were in the Games, I sure would want you on my side." He confessed, chuckling.

"So would I." Luke gave a light laugh.

They had a short, silly conversation on how nice it would be to have a clone of oneself in the arena. But Luke pointed out that clones could turn bad, and only one could win.

"You seem like a very serious competitor." Caesar noted.

"I am." Luke said, a fierce determination lighting within his eyes, "Because I know what needs to be done in order to win. And I won't let anyone stand in my way."

Everyone started applauding at this. "Lucifer Haze!" Caesar shouted, "With a score of 8!"

Luke went to sit down, slightly smirking. He was pleased with his interview. As he sat down next to Amara, she told him, "Good job. You did really well."

"So did you." Luke returned the compliment. Then they settled back to watch Ember stride onto the stage. She was looking quite pretty in a strapless, dark blue dress that came to her knees and shimmered as she moved. A smug smile was on her face as she shook Caesar's hand.

"Ember Font, District 6, scoring a 6!"

Ember shrugged, as if she didn't really care either way. She maintained her smirk as they settled down for the interview.

"Happy with your score?" Caesar questioned cheerfully.

"Oh, yeah. Exuberated." Ember said with heavy sarcasm.

Caesar was a good sport about it and laughed. "I'd be happy with a 6. If I were in your position, I'd be lucky to score a 1!"

Ember smiled sweetly. "Yeah, you would." She agreed.

The host pretended to look hurt. "Oh, ouch. You are too much! I think I'm going to cry." Ember giggled, as Caesar declared, "Well, crying will come later! We have an interview to do. Tell me, how are you feeling? Excited for tomorrow? Nervous?"

A diabolical grin slowly spread across the girl's face. "Excited." She said mischievously.

"Ah, ah, ah…I can see something juicy is on your mind. Care telling us what it is?"

"I have a secret plan." Ember announced proudly.

"Come now, don't play with us like this," Caesar said, sounding disappointed, "Details!"

"Nope, sorry." Ember smiled broadly. She relished withholding this information from them. "That's why it's a _secret _plan."

"True." Caesar sighed.

"Just know that I'm in it to win it." Ember winked at the audience. They were yelling at her, demanding to know what her plan was.

Hera, backstage, swallowed nervously. _Plan? What plan? She didn't inform me of a plan…_

The rest of her interview kept phasing back to her "secret plan" that she would tell to know one. The Careers were exchanging suspicious glances while those in the ragtag alliance were feeling nervous, wondering if she could have found out about their own plan.

When her time was up, she left the stage, holding herself with confidence. Then it was Roam's turn.

His outfit was a near-disaster. He wore orange and red plaid pants, a yellow sports coat, an orange shirt, and a red argyle sweater vest. Caesar started guffawing when he laid eyes on him and questioned the mental state of Roam's stylist. Then he exclaimed, "Oh, silly me! This is Roam Ramble, everyone…coming away with a score of 4!"

Roam's heart fell. 4 was the lowest score of anyone so far. He had been trying to build up the courage to come out here, but now that he had just been pronounced the least-talented tribute, all of his nerves came rushing back.

"How are you doing, Mr. Ramble?" Caesar asked, motioning for him to sit down.

Roam was staring out into the audience, petrified.

"Come now, we haven't much time. Please take a seat."

"Sorry!" Roam gasped, hurrying to sit down.

Caesar smiled knowingly. "I can see someone's a little nervous."

Roam didn't respond, terrified that he would start stuttering.

"So, how are you getting on with your fellow tributes? You must certainly have your hands full with that Font gal, eh?" Caesar gave the young man a good-natured nudge.

"I-I-I d-don't…" Roam searched for words. "Sh-She's…well, I-I'm n-n-n-not…!"

He could hear everyone laughing. The entire country was laughing at him.

"Take a deep breath. There's nothing to fear." Caesar soothed. "Let's change the subject. What was your reaction when you were reaped?"

Roam's face was a bright shade of red and he spluttered disconnected words. "I-I-I…r-really…I was…!" He swallowed. "S-so s-sad…"

But his disjointed answer was drowned out by raucous laughter. He could see them everywhere. Thousands of faces, jeering at him, making fun of him…all over the country, they were laughing at him. Even Caesar Flickerman was holding back a grin. Roam's mind swam with grief, anger, panic, until…

"STOP LAUGHING AT ME!" He screamed, rising to his feet.

Everyone quieted instantly. As if he had hit some secret mute button. "It's all right, Mr. Ramble. Please sit back down." Caesar coaxed gently.

Glowering at the audience, Roam slowly sank back into his seat. Then he buried his face in his hands, refusing to look at anyone else. His mentor had told him to be a nice, likeable guy. But he had failed miserably. Who would sponsor him now?

"We have time for a few more questions." Caesar said quietly, "Why don't we talk about your home, hm? What do you miss most about District 6?"

Roam lifted his head. Caesar really knew what he was doing. Home was quite possibly the only thing he could talk about without having a complete breakdown. "My girlfriend." He whispered. An image of Journey appeared in his mind. Sweet, beautiful Journey. His soul mate. The only one who could make his condition fall away, as if it never even existed.

There was a collective, "Aww!" from the crowd on onlookers. Caesar reached out and placed a hand on Roam's knee, looking sympathetic. "I'm sure she was very sad to see you go."

"Y-Yes." Roam could feel his throat swelling with grief. "It w-was our anni…anniversary. W-we were going to go out aft-t-terwards."

"Well, I'm so sorry that didn't come to pass." Caesar sighed, "But if you can get home safely, you'll have all the more reason to celebrate."

Roam nodded. "I-I'll be fighting f-for her." He promised.

The interview ended after that, and Roam went to his seat. Caesar stood up and grandly made his way off the stage. "We'll be taking a brief intermission!" He announced as he went, "Stay tuned!"


	13. Interviews Part 2

**I wrote the ball :3 I can't wait for you guys to read it! It was so fun to write. It's one of the best chapters yet! Oh yeah, I wrote the Bloodbath too! Not as good as last year's Bloodbath though...but I promise the Games won't disappoint.  
**

"And we're back! Up next—you know her as our youngest competitor! Angela Pax Autumn, scoring a 4 in training!"

Angela walked out in a silky, shimmery blue-green dress that fell to her knees. Her hair was down and curled, much to her distaste, and a beaded wreath had been placed atop her head. A pair of pixie wings jutted out of her back, making her look a lot more innocent than she really was.

"Hello, Miss Autumn! That's an awfully good score you got for one of your age." Caesar Flickerman greeted, shaking her hand.

"Really?" Her eyes narrowed disbelievingly.

"Of course! Remember the little one from last year? She only scored a 1!"

_Yeah, but the _other _12-year old got a freaking 9. _She thought.

As soon as she sat down to the interview, Angela discarded the angle her mentor had picked out for her. There was no way she was going to come off all sweet and innocent, when she was anything but. No, she would show Panem who she really was. Eventually, her true self would be revealed in the arena, so why bother faking it for the interview?

"So, Miss Autumn…12-year olds are always marked as underdogs. What are your feelings on this?"

"I think that's stupid!" Angela hissed, "I may be young, but I'm not afraid of anything! I have just as much of a chance as those stupid Careers!"

Caesar looked mildly amused. "Such confidence! Are you sure—?"

"Of course I'm sure! I can handle anything you guys throw at me, and be the best at it. Just watch me!"

As always with the dramatic lines, the audience started clapping for her. She smirked, pleased at the effect she was having. But at the front of the crowd, she could see the line of tributes. The Careers were not happy with her at all.

"Oh, what? Did I offend you? I'm _so _sorry." Angela said sarcastically. She pushed out her bottom lip and blinked as innocently as she could. There, now her mentor couldn't say she hadn't acted innocent.

"Provoking the Careers…" Caesar chuckled. "Some would say that's not too wise…"

"I'm not afraid of them." Angela snorted, "They're idiots."

"And what makes you say that?"

"I have my reasons." She responded, unwilling to share what had happened. Angela thought of how rude they had been. She had information that could have possibly saved their lives. And yet, they had brushed her off like she was merely an annoying fly. _Their loss. _

"As much as I admire your courage, I'm afraid this will put a target on your back once you're in the arena…" Caesar said carefully, "Just what will you do to avoid falling victim to the others?"

Angela smiled mischievously. "They'll have to find me first. And then they'll have to catch me." She declared.

"Excellent." Caesar said briskly, "Well, that's all the time we have for this one. Angela Pax Autumn, everyone!"

She was met with a good response. _I bet I couldn't have made a name for myself with the crappy angle you wanted to give me! _She thought rebelliously, catching her outraged mentor's eye.

Now it was Ivan's turn. He wore a black blazer and pants, with a blue button-down shirt that brought out his deep blue eyes. Matching blue trim lined the jacket.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Ivan Kazankov! Scoring an 8!"

Ivan smiled and jovially shook Caesar's hand.

"Did I pronounce it right?" Caesar asked, with a sheepish smile.

"Da. You got it." Ivan responded in his heavy Russian accent.

Caesar's eyes widened with realization. "Oh my! Looks like we have a bona fide Russian among our ranks!"

Ivan beamed. "Very much so."

Down in the row of tributes, Saffron made a loud gagging sound. Ravish gave him a look. "There was something caught in my throat." He said testily, crossing his arms and glowering at Ivan.

As they began the interview, Caesar asked him to say a few simple phrases in Russian. He taught the audience how to say hello, goodbye, and thank you. Then they delved further into Ivan's personal life.

"So, Mr. Kazankov…I think we're all wondering why a person such as yourself is here in Panem. Would you mind telling us your story?"

"Well…" Ivan began in a polite voice; "My parents and their parents came to Panem from Russia a long time ago before the uprising occurred. Through it all, we've fought to preserve our traditions and strictly remain Russian."

"That sounds hard." Caesar said in a grave voice.

"Nyet, it's not so hard. Although we're only allowed to marry other Russians in order to withhold the tradition. And there aren't many other Russians around here."

"Who dictates all of this? Your father, your mother, your grandparents…?" Caesar wondered.

Ivan suddenly grew cold. "My…father." He spoke in a flat tone of voice.

"And the rest of the family goes along with it?"

"Of course we do!" Ivan snapped, suddenly ferocious, "Why wouldn't we?"

Caesar seemed to realize he had ventured into dangerous waters. "I wasn't doubting you at all!" He recovered quickly, "Let's talk about that score—an 8! Wow! How did you manage that?"

"…I have many talents." Ivan grumbled, but his heart was no longer in it. The rest of the interview lacked luster, and Caesar seemed relieved to get Ivan off the stage after that outburst.

"Let's bring out District 8!" The host declared, "This is Hera Sinclair, scoring a 3!"

Hera's face grew pale as she realized this was the lowest score yet. Trying to force a smile, and miserably failing, she strode across the stage in a knee length red dress. She greeted Caesar cordially and they sat down together. But she couldn't hold the smile for long and let it fall off her face. Her mentor would be disappointed with her, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get this over with.

"Miss Sinclair!" Caesar exclaimed, "You're looking well."

"Thank you." Hera muttered, wondering if that was supposed to be some kind of joke. At least he didn't mention her awful score.

"So, are you enjoying everything the Capitol has to offer?"

"Yes, I am." She answered curtly.

"The food's amazingly delectable, don't you agree?"

"Yes, it is." Hera mumbled, narrowing her eyes.

Caesar quickly changed the subject. "So, tell me about your family…"

"I have two parents and a little brother named Max." Hera said in a low voice. The audience seemed to be leaning forward in their chairs to hear her, despite that she wore a microphone.

"Do you miss them?"

"Of course."

A small, awkward silence followed her words as Caesar waited for her to elaborate. But she didn't. _My God, this has to be the worst interview in the history of the Hunger Games… _Hera thought, feeling awful.

"Would you like to give them a shout out?" Caesar asked, smiling at her in a friendly manner.

"No." She said blankly.

She could tell the audience was starting to get bored. She could practically hear the crickets chirping.

"I don't know what I would say." She mumbled quickly.

Caesar asked her a few more questions about home, but she brushed them off like all the others. Finally, after what seemed to be hours, the buzzer sounded. She let out a sigh of relief and left the stage, while Caesar announced her name one last time. It was met with the worst response yet. The Capitol clapped out of respect, but no one put any effort in cheering. Hera tried to remain stoic as she took a seat next to Ivan.

_Well, maybe Hapi will make me look good… _She thought, wondering if the rest of Panem would get the same creepy vibes from him as she did.

But, in a whirl of purple, Hapi materialized on the stage. He was wearing a midnight purple cape along with a black vest and gloves. Atop his head was a large cavalier hat, and on half of his face, a mask. The mask was a silvery white crescent moon that seemed to catch the light. Caesar looked immensely surprised to see such a dramatic costume on his stage.

"Hapi M. Saltzman!" He cried out, "Coming away with a whopping score of 9!"

Hapi removed his mask and hat with a flourish. Then he bowed deeply, holding the hat over his heart. Hera could feel her jaw dropping. _He got a 9? How? _She felt hatred bubbling up from within her. He was such a suck-up. The Gamemakers obviously rigged the whole thing.

"We're all very impressed with you, Mr. Saltzman…" Caesar said, once they had sat down, "Would you mind telling us about your elaborate outfit?" He motioned to the hat and mask that were clutched in the boy's hands.

"Oh, yes." Hapi said, grinning, "I crafted this mask myself. It's a hobby of mine, one I've turned into a business. The Capitol buys my masks, as I'm sure some of you are aware…"

Caesar slapped his forehead. "I had no idea! Well, after this is over, I'm going right out to buy one!"

Hapi chuckled. "Thank you for your business."

"Hapi, now that you're famous, your masks will be selling like hotcakes! Imagine if you win the Hunger Games…"

"Oh, I know. It's very exciting. If I do somehow manage to win, I…well, it's always been an aspiration of mine to open up my very own shop within the confines of your lovely city."

His words were met with tremendous applause. He positively beamed and uttered a 'thank you' that was lost among the noise.

"The boy has ambition. I like it." Caesar mused, "Of course, you would be set for life with the winnings you would earn. You wouldn't really need to make a profit from a mask shop."

"I am well aware." Hapi told the host, "But I just like making people happy. It does my heart good when I see a smiling civilian wearing one of my masks...well, not that you can see them smiling under the mask."

Everyone started laughing and clapping again.

"Besides, I would pay all of the money in the world to…" He trailed off, as the audience interrupted him with their cheering.

"Come now, folks, we're on a schedule!" Caesar chided, "What is it that you were saying, Mr. Saltzman?"

Hapi gave a sad shake of his head. "Oh, don't worry about it."

"No, please! Tell us!"

"Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!" The audience started chanting. Caesar held up a hand, quieting them.

Hapi quickly gave in. "Well, all right. You see, my mother is in a coma. She's been like that for a long time. I've been using every cent of the money I earn to contribute to her life support. If I won the Hunger Games, I would do everything in my power to get her to wake up." He smiled sadly.

The crowd was going ballistic. If their attention had wavered during Hera's interview, it had now come crashing back in full force.

"We'll be rooting for you!" Caesar shouted over the roar of the crowd and the sounding buzzer, "Hapi M. Saltzman, everyone!"

His cape billowing out behind him, Hapi quietly slid off the stage to make way for the next person. Hera glared at him in disgust as he sat down next to her, but he merely smiled. It was District 9's turn now. Scarlet was making her way onto the stage in a flowing, red cocktail dress that fell just below her knees. It complimented her bleach blonde hair. She was enthusiastic as she shook Caesar's hand. He announced her acquiring a score of 6, but her smile didn't falter. She happily sat down to speak with Caesar.

"Well, you seem to be just bursting with energy!" Caesar declared, beaming at her.

Scarlet giggled. "Thank you!"

"What are your thoughts on tomorrow's Games? Do you think you'll make it very far?" Caesar asked eagerly.

"I sure hope so!" She said in a light voice. "I'd like to get home."

"Oh? Is there someone waiting for you at home? Perhaps a handsome lad…?"

"Oh, no, no!" Scarlet dismissed, waving her hand.

Caesar waited for her to go into detail, but she didn't. "I see. You just want to see your parents again. I shouldn't have assumed…"

"It's fine!" Scarlet said, not bothering to correct him that she had no parents. She didn't feel like answering any questions on her personal life. Caesar asked her a few more questions pertaining to her home, but she evaded each and every one of them. The host proceeded to change the topic back to the present.

"I bet all of our bachelors will be vying for your hand at the ball tonight." He said, grinning.

"Oh, Caesar!" She gave him a light push. "You're embarrassing me." Smiling, she looked out towards the other tributes in the audience and caught Seth's eye. He was staring at her, scrutinizing her. She gave a cheerful wave and he looked away.

"Forgive me. You know, there is a lot of controversy surrounding the ball. Some say we should discontinue it since most of it isn't televised. Some even say it's cruel to throw all of you into a social setting such as that." Caesar frowned.

"Well, if it helps, I'm excited about it." Scarlet offered.

Caesar thanked her and the crowd clapped for her. "Scarlet Kirkland, folks!"

She left the stage to Emmett after that. He wore a light-colored suit with grain patterns all over it. He kept an emotionless face and had a mysterious aura about him, exactly how his mentor wanted him to portray himself.

"May I introduce Emmett Bandy…who scored a 5!"

_Only a 5? _Emmett thought, feeling disappointed. But he quickly shook it off and tried to focus on the task at hand. He showed no reaction as he greeted Caesar and sat down beside him.

"How are you doing? Looking forward to tomorrow?" Caesar questioned eagerly.

"Oh, yes…" Emmett said in a faint voice, "This will be a Hunger Games to remember."

"I agree!" Caesar nodded in approval, "But you sound so sure of yourself. Any plans forming up your sleeve we ought to know about…?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Emmett said airily, "All will become clear within due time…"

"Right you are." Caesar agreed once more, but it was easy to see he was disappointed. He was tired of tributes brushing him off. "So about your Reaping…"

Emmett's eyes widened. _Oh, shoot. The freaking Reaping. _He had completely forgotten about it. He should have known that Caesar would bring it up.

"If I recall correctly, your brother tried to volunteer for you, but your parents stopped him…" A rerun of the scene was playing silently on the large TVs. Emmett's eyes were glued to the screen as he watched Elias turn his back on him.

Emmett completely dropped his front at this point. "Why do you care? It's not like it's important. I'm more qualified to be here anyways." He lifted his chin defiantly, as if daring Caesar Flickerman to challenge his claim.

"I'm so sorry, my dear boy. I was just a mite curious…I was wondering if your parents favor your brother over you…"

"Well, they don't have any reason to."

"Oh, of course not."

"I'm just as good as him. Even better, because I had the courage to come here."

"No doubt about that!"

Emmett settled back in his seat, a small scowl on his face. "Next question." He demanded.

"Very well. Any thoughts on your lovely district partner?" Caesar motioned out towards the audience where Scarlet sat.

Emmett cast a withering glance in her direction. "Not really. I have pretty high standards, so I don't find her that interesting."

Scarlet gasped, outraged. The Capitol-dwellers couldn't help but chuckle at this. The rest of the interview flew by, while Emmett dreaded going back to his seat. He slowly made his way towards Scarlet, thinking that she would attack him at any given moment. But she had turned to face the other way in her seat, glaring angrily at the ground. He slipped into the chair next to her without saying anything. She gave an angry huff, but otherwise, didn't acknowledge him.

Emmett pretended to be extremely absorbed in what was happening onstage so that he wouldn't have to look at Scarlet. Galloway had stepped out in a white dress with black polka dots. Like many of the other female tributes, she wore high heels and had her hair done in curls.

She tried to force a smile and wave. Her mentor had told her to be outgoing, but she had a hard time mustering the energy to do so. She greeted Caesar politely. In return, he told the nation that she had scored a 5. She blushed ever so slightly. Well, at least it wasn't the worst score of the day.

"So Miss Anson, how are you getting on?"

"Um…good?" Galloway answered, wondering how to respond to that.

"I must say, I am a big fan of your name. Galloway! That's a type of cow, isn't it? How very charming!"

Galloway forced an amused grin. "Yeah…and my brothers' names are Holstein and Angus. We own a cattle ranch."

The audience laughed. She tried to laugh along with them, but she felt extremely embarrassed.

"That's sweet." Caesar said kindly, "What do you do on the ranch?"

"I herd the coyotes and shoot the cattle. I mean-! I herd the cattle and shoot the coyotes!"

This started up a new round of laughing. Now, she had Caesar going too. She just wished they would stop. "Well, I'm glad you don't shoot the cattle! That would ruin your livelihood."

"Yeah…" She mumbled.

Thankfully, no one laughed at her after this. Caesar switched to the topic of the Games and she gave him a few generic answers. Yes, she was nervous. Yes, she would definitely try her hardest to get home. She was all too relieved when the buzzer ended her turn. Caesar bid her farewell and brought out the next one. Jarek was wriggling with excitement in a simple tux with a blue tie that matched his eyes. For some reason, he had a picture of his sister taped to his chest.

"Jarek Damon, scoring a 2!"

"12?" Jarek cried out, hardly daring to believe it.

Caesar frowned. "No, _2_. Sorry if you misheard me."

Jarek laughed it off and shrugged. "Oh. Looks like I got the lowest score…"

"Well, at least you're a good sport about it!" Caesar offered kindly. "Now let's get to it! First of all, I'd like to talk about this interesting choice in fashion…" He arched an eyebrow, gazing at the picture on Jarek's chest.

"Oh yeah, I added that myself. This is my sister, Dalia!" Jarek declared cheerfully, "I love her more than anything in the world!"

"Aww, well isn't that sweet?" Caesar voiced, looking out into the audience. They echoed his adorations.

"Yup! She's 2-years old." He chattered on, "She didn't really understand the Hunger Games until I had to go away. Then she cried. But don't worry Dalia! I'm gonna come home, okay?" He looked around, trying to locate a camera. "Hi, Mom and Dad! Hi Dalia!" He shouted when he found one, waving at it. "Hi Costa!"

"Wow, you seem to have boundless energy, don't you? I'm sure that'll serve you well in the Games."

"Maybe." Jarek shrugged. "I have a lot of survival knowledge. I think my parents have always been paranoid I'd run off and get lost in the woods or something."

"That's very interesting." Caesar mused, trying to steer Jarek back towards talking about the Games. He asked him his reaction to being reaped and if he was nervous for tomorrow.

"Not really!" Jarek said happily.

"Why's that?"

Jarek thought of the secret alliance, and how they made him feel like he could actually hope to survive these Games. They made him feel safe and wanted. He couldn't have been prouder to be apart of their team. Without batting an eyelash, Jarek lied, "No reason!" _Aw yeah! Secret agent style._

The interview wrapped up nicely and the Capitol seemed to take to Jarek well. Tiger-Lilly came out next, and it was clear to see that her name had inspired her dress. It was a beautiful orange color with black specks around the edges. The end of the dress fell in layers, like flower petals. She carried a small, tiger-striped purse for looks. Caesar gushed about how well her apparel fit her name. Then he told her that she had gotten a score of 7.

Tiger-Lilly smiled. _I'll take it. _She had beaten out two of the Careers. She couldn't have been more pleased.

The two sat down and started the interview with the topic of her home. Dear old District 11.

"I will admit, I'm pretty homesick." Tiger-Lilly confessed. "I have a huge family, and I miss every single one of them."

"Oh? Who all is in your family?" Caesar questioned.

"It would take forever to get through them all…"

"Can you condense forever down into a minute?" Caesar chuckled.

"Well, I live with my parents, my grandma, and my aunt and uncle. I have two younger sisters, Rose and Maral. And three cousins: Grain, Petal, and Raina. We all live together."

"My, my. That really _is _a big family." Caesar gave an impressed whistle. "How do you get on like that?"

"Well, the house is pretty crowded, but we're all happy to be together. And most all of us work in the orchard to try and keep everyone well-fed."

"Ah, a hard worker! No doubt this'll help you in the arena."

Tiger-Lilly laughed, "That's kind of you to say, but I goof around a lot. I try to keep the little ones entertained since it can get boring, working for hours on end…"

"You're a good kid." Caesar said approvingly. The audience made sounds of agreement. Tiger-Lilly smiled and bowed her head graciously. He proceeded to ask for her opinion on the Games and the Capitol. He concluded with, "It looks like you have a lot to get back to. Make sure you try your hardest out there, all right?"

"Of course." Tiger-Lilly promised, her voice calm and determined.

As she left the stage, she caught sight of Kalin waiting backstage in a black suit with a green tie. Outlines of vines ran up and down his sleeves. He saw her looking at him and flashed her a thumbs-up. She smiled and made her way to her seat, silently wishing him luck.

He ran out, pumping his fists up and down. The crowd grew excited and cheered loudly for him. "Eee! I love you Kalin!" Some fangirl shrieked in a high-pitched voice. He struck a pose, bringing his hand up to his ear and grinning. Caesar was laughing jovially as he stepped up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I hate to steal you away from your moment, but as they say in theatre, the show must go on…"

"Sorry, sorry." Kalin apologized, grinning sheepishly, going to sit down.

"Kalin Barry, everyone! Getting a score of 7!"

"I'll take it!" Kalin declared proudly, even though he was well aware that a handful of tributes had beaten him out.

"So Kalin…" Caesar said, grinning, "You seem like quite a catch. Any lady friends at home?"

Kalin ran his hand through his hair, looking a little flustered. "Yeah…I mean, no! Well, I have friends that are girls, but I'm single…if that's what you're saying."

Caesar chuckled. "Anyone caught your eye?"

"Aw, Caesar, you're making me blush!" Kalin joked, "No one at the moment, but she's gotta be almost as gorgeous as me. G-O-double R-G-E-U-Z-S, GorGEOUS!"

"Well, you win the Hunger Games and you can have any girl you want. How's that sound?"

"Fantastic." Kalin grinned, but deep down he knew that wasn't possible.

"Okay, enough about that. Let's talk tomorrow. Are you ready for what's coming?" Caesar asked, lifting his eyebrows.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Kalin said, letting out a deep breath of air.

They talked the Games for another minute. Then Caesar wished him the best of luck and the interview ended on a good note. Everyone applauded as Kalin left the stage and made way for Beatriss. Amara watched him take a seat further down the row.

"I got a higher score than him." Came a low whisper.

She turned to look at Luke. "Yeah? So?" She murmured.

He shrugged. "Nothing. Just making a statement."

Both returned their attention to the stage. Beatriss wore a pretty, white dress that was short in length. It contrasted well with her dark hair and olive skin. She also sported black ankle boots and wore a black band around her head to keep the hair out of her face. She hung back, but Caesar went to shake her hand and she smiled sweetly at him.

She had her angle down perfectly. She was going to be sweet and shy, downplaying her skills so that no one would suspect her of having the ability to kill mercilessly.

"Beatriss Thrett," Caesar told the audience, "With a score of 6!"

Her smile broadened upon hearing her score. The Gamemakers had been so intoxicated; she had assumed that they weren't paying attention.

"So Beatriss, how did you get such a good score for a District 12 tribute?" Caesar asked after they had sat down.

"I don't know." Beatriss said quietly, "I guess I'm just lucky."

"Well, I sure hope your luck will hold up in the arena." The host stated.

Beatriss nodded, shyly avoiding his gaze. "It will." She promised him in a sudden, dark tone.

"So what do you think of the Capitol? It's a big change from District 12, isn't it?"

"Mm-hmm." She reached up and ran a hand through her hair. "It's quite different from what I'm used to."

"I'm sure." Caesar agreed. "What's your favorite part of being here?"

"Everything. The delicious food, the warm beds, the servants waiting on you hand and foot. It's lovely."

"And to think you could live like this every day if you become the victor…"

"That's what I'm hoping for."

She was thankful he didn't ask her to go into a lot detail. The entire interview was very shallow, and she could sense the growing apprehension of the audience. They wanted to get to Bentley already. The interview went by in a flash and then it was his turn. The Capitol waited for him with bated breath.

When he stepped out in a casual outfit that was a throwback to Carson's, the crowd went wild. He wore tan pants, white sneakers, and a red blazer with a blue bowtie. The colors were different, but it was clear that his stylist had made these decisions on purpose. Bentley turned his head and could see Carson's image on the large TVs. They were showing him before his interview, right when he had stepped onto the stage.

Caesar roared, "Our last tribute for this evening! Bentley Rivera, coming away with a score of 6!"

Everyone cheered as if he had managed to scrape a 12. Bentley remained stoic, his mouth pressed into a thin line, his dark brown eyes serious. His expression didn't change as he sat down to talk to Caesar. He knew what the first thing out of the host's mouth would be…

"Another Rivera in the Games this year. What bad luck!"

_Called it. _Bentley sighed inwardly. But his voice was calm as he responded, "I don't think it's bad luck at all. I was brought back to finish what Carson started."

"Does this mean you're going to try to avenge him?" Caesar asked with shining eyes. Bentley could see excitement in every onlooker's face. They all wanted to see some dramatic showdown between him and the boy from District 2. Bentley found Zane and looked right at him.

"No." He said firmly, "The boy who killed my brother is dead. Vengeance isn't possible now that he's gone."

There was a collective sigh from the audience. They were disappointed. They wanted to see vicious bloodshed in honor of his brother. But Bentley wouldn't let them have the satisfaction.

"Mr. Rivera, there's a clip we'd like to roll of Carson's interview from last year. Here…" Caesar pointed to one of the screens.

Carson appeared, looking relaxed in the very chair Bentley was sitting in right now. _"Bentley."_ His brother said in his familiar, deep voice. Bentley wanted to answer, "Yeah?" as if he were still alive.

Caesar's voice could be heard, though the camera was zoomed in on Carson. _"And what did Bentley think about all this?" _

Bentley watched Carson hesitate. He could see the sadness in his eyes. _"He was upset with me. Asked me why I did it." _

"_And what did you say?"_

"_He's my little brother. I'd have to be the worst person in the world not to take his place." _

A shot of Caesar showed him nodding. His hair and lips were pitch black that year, making him look frightening. _"I assume that your brother is tuned in so he can see you…what would you say to him right now, if he were watching?"_

The shot switched back to the close-up of Carson. His brother looked directly into the camera. _"Stay strong. I'm gonna try and come back to you."_

The image faded and the Capitol started applauding. Bentley stared at the blank screen, willing it to bring his brother back to him. He wanted to see his face, and hear his voice again…

"Now…" Caesar's voice brought him back to reality, "I'd like to ask you the same question. If your brother were watching you right now…what would you say to him?"

Bentley felt something warm roll down his face and he realized he was crying. He blinked, trying to uncloud his vision. Instead, more tears came forth. He reached up and hastily wiped them away. Then he whispered, "This is cruel…what you're doing. It's bad enough you're sending 23 children off to die. But do you have to humiliate us too?" He rose to his feet, his whole body shaking with anger. His fists were clenched at his sides. Caesar drew back in his seat, looking alarmed, as if Bentley might punch him.

"You can just go to hell. All of you." Bentley said in a dangerous voice. With that, he made his way off the stage and went to sit down in his assigned seat. A long silence followed his words. Moments later, it was broken by the long, drawn-out sound of the buzzer.

**AJSGAJGHGSF I can't believe I wrote the interviews in a timespan of 2-3 days! And I wrote 5-12 districts in 1 day. Holy crap. I have no life. These were a lot easier thanks to the ideas some of you offered up. Phew! Moving on…**

**Once again, there are a handful of tributes that are based off other characters from different things. Some are obscure and some are not so obscure. Here are some hints, one for each tribute…masks, sunflowers, earth, and pigeons. **

**If you guess it, you get the reward of being smart and gorrgeuzs. **


	14. The Ball

**Aw hecks yeah it's time for the ball, mother-truckers! This is my favorite chapter so far! And then the Bloodbath will be in the next update. I promise I won't do the Fake Bloodbath deal and trick you guys like last time. That only worked since I was going on vacation. **

**Oh yeah! And as for whom each character is based on…**

**Hapi (masks) = Happy Mask Salesman from Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask**

**Ivan (sunflowers) = Russia from Hetalia (I don't watch the show so your jokes are lost on me…)**

**Kalin (earth) = Bolin from Legend of Korra (also The Head Gamemaker informed me Kelsea is based off Mai from Avatar: The Last Airbender. And for the record, Angela as Toph was a pretty good guess even though it was wrong)**

**Saffron (pigeons) = Sakuya from Hatoful Boyfriend (A game where you date pigeons, don't judge, it's amazing)**

Later that day, just as the sun set on the Capitol, the ball took place in a beautiful outdoor garden, complete with a buffet and a dance floor. All sorts of decorations had been put up to celebrate the occasion. Floating lanterns flickered in the cool, evening air. A rainbow assortment of flowers sprinkled the clean-cut lawns and climbed up pillars and arches.

Cameras had been placed around the dance floor to capture the single moment the media was allowed to record—the ceremonious dance the tributes performed. Off to the side, long tables contained all sorts of foods. A dark purple fountain, which contained wine, sprayed a fine mist over the area. Nearby, on a table, was a smaller fountain that spewed melted chocolate. All sorts of delicious fruits and treats surrounded it, inviting hungry guests to dip and enjoy.

Gamemakers and other esteemed guests, such as governors, lurked in the shadows, casually conversing with one another. They did not interact with the tributes at all, and preferred to observe from afar.

The cameras blinked on and all of the officials turned to see the tributes walking out in two lines. One line of boys and one line of girls. They wore their formal attire from earlier in the day.

The traditional dance they executed was ridiculously simple. The tributes had learned it with ease, and knew what to do. They would line up, facing their district partner. The boy bowed, and the girl curtsied, as was customary. Then they would hold out their palms to one another, but they wouldn't touch, and proceed to circle one another quite slowly. Their lack of contact was symbolic in the eyes of the Capitol. It represented that tributes could not forge bonds, if they wanted to come away with a clean win. It was a fact that many chose to ignore.

Three times, the tributes circled one another, staring into each other's eyes, but refusing to touch. After the third time, they finally locked hands and sunk into a normal slow dance, stepping to the beat of the song. This part represented the idea that Panem was still one—and under the Capitol and the Hunger Games, all 12 districts became united.

Bentley and Beatriss were going through the motions, but neither of them really seemed to be in there. Beatriss was wondering what she should do once the party began. Bentley, on the other hand, kept thinking back to his interview. No doubt they would give him hell for that in the arena.

Kalin was smiling and laid back as he danced with Tiger-Lilly. She squeezed his hand lightly and reminded him, "We're not supposed to be friends!" At her words, his face transformed into a glare and he glowered at her throughout the entire dance. Even though he was faking, a thrill of fear ran through her. It was a good thing Kalin wasn't her enemy.

Jarek kept wiggling with energy, his face bright with joy. He was extremely excited to get to the party. His eyes kept flicking all around as he looked from the buffet to the fountain to the assortment of flowers. Galloway grinded her teeth together, willing the song to be over.

Scarlet was rigid with hatred. She glared at the ground and gripped Emmett's hands tightly in hers, draining the blood out of them. Emmett fought the urge to pull away. Instead, he held her hands just as tightly, hoping that he was causing her the same discomfort. Scarlet thought of her sister telling her to be nice to Emmett. _So much for that. _She thought angrily, _I tried my best, but it's his fault. He's a jerk!_

Hera and Hapi were another awkward pairing. Hera was silently willing Hapi to trip over his trailing cape, but the dance movements were simple, so of course he didn't. And thank goodness they were. If the dance had been much more complicated, Hapi probably would not have been able to lift Hera off the ground since she was heavier than him.

Ivan and Angela looked a bit silly, dancing together with their exaggerated difference in height. Ivan was trying to smile, but he just wanted to get this over with. Same with Angela. The look on her face showed that she wasn't enjoying this at all. She glanced down the row and saw many others shared the same expression. _I hope the Capitol enjoys seeing us suffer. _She thought dryly.

Ember was taking the lead in her dance with Roam, controlling where and when they stepped. Roam struggled to keep up. But his partner seemed intent on flinging him around like a doll. He sighed in relief when he realized that this was the last time he would be forced to interact with her.

Amara and Luke were one of the more pleasant couples. Luke's face was expressionless, his gray eyes calm. Amara acknowledged that Luke was actually really handsome, despite the jagged scar on his right cheek. She briefly wondered how he got it.

Dominic felt extremely nervous, being forced to dance with Kelsea. The entire time, she stared at him with deadpan eyes, her gaze boring directly into his soul. She was judging him, he knew. She always seemed so accusatory. _But I got a better score than Baye! Why won't you accept me? _He wanted to scream at her. Instead, he lowered his head and stared at the ground, praying that the dance would be over soon.

Confusion shrouded Seth's mind as he danced with Baye. He had thought the shaking of hands was some sort of mating ritual, but this topped it by far. He briefly wondered why the Capitol was bent on pairing everyone together. And he especially didn't want to be with Baye, of all people. He had nothing to do with her ever since she joined the Careers. He looked down the line of female tributes and his eyes settled on Scarlet. Though he didn't quite understand this strange feeling, he found himself wanting to dance with her instead.

During the entire dance, Adrenaline had been leering at Zane as if he were one of the delectable objects on the buffet table. He felt extremely nervous and tried to avoid her gaze, but it was hard, with her right in front of him. Adrenaline reminded him of a vampire, what with the fake blood all over her skin and the hungry look in her eyes. _My God, this is pure torture. This girl is completely demented. Please let it be over soon…_

Saffron, meanwhile, was taking the dance very seriously, moving with grace. But about halfway through, his attention diverted elsewhere. He kept turning his head to stare at something. Ravish followed his gaze and noticed he was gazing at a magnificent grand piano, located under an arch that hung with vines. The rest of the dance, he was absolutely obsessed with it, and refused to tear his eyes away.

Finally, the song came to an end. The tributes released one another; now back into their starting positions, with the two lines facing on another. The boys were to bow once more and the girls were to curtsy. Every single boy bowed in unison, except for Saffron, who had already started making a beeline for the piano as soon as the song had ended. Ravish just stood there, staring in disbelief as the other girls curtsied around her.

_Thanks a lot, Saffron. _She thought angrily, her face turning red. _That was just broadcasted to everyone in Panem. I really owe you one._

The few onlookers that were there applauded respectfully, and then returned to their conversations. The cameras were shut off and taken away.

Now, it was their time.

As usual, no one took to the dance floor right away. Most everyone went straight for the buffet table, or the wine fountain. Adrenaline in particular, ran straight for the fountain, shoving Beatriss out of her way to get to it. But Beatriss merely shrunk back and headed in a different direction. Emmett saw the exchange. He quickly stopped by the fountain, filled two glasses with wine, and went off in pursuit of Beatriss.

Hapi, during the dance, had spotted the presence of a grand piano. He started making his way over to it, but then he spotted Saffron already there. He hung back. _Well, he can't stay there forever. I'll just wait for him to go._

Saffron rolled up his sleeves and placed shaking fingers onto the ivory keys of the beautiful instrument. He hadn't touched a piano in _years_. Would he retain his skill after so long? Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Saffron quietly played the first few measures of Fur Elise. He didn't miss a single note. Saffron gave a jubilant laugh. It was amazing, how it had all come back to him so easily! He began playing the full song, just losing himself in the music. Irritating hip-hop trash was pounding out of the nearby speakers, but Saffron blocked it out and focused on the soothing melody that came from the piano.

Hapi hid in the shadow of an oversized vase, listening. The boy was talented; there was no doubt about that. But Hapi also had a thing for playing the piano. He had taught himself how to play it in the basement of the hospital, where his mother had been for the past five years. He was actually quite good at it. Granted, that piano was old, covered in dust, and out of tune. But Hapi still loved producing music and couldn't wait to get his hands on this pristine grand piano.

Hera could see Hapi hiding in the shadows like the creep that he was. Feeling frustrated, she went to the buffet table and starting jamming fistfuls of chocolate cake in her mouth. But no matter how much she ate, she didn't feel any better. Because she knew that tomorrow was the Hunger Games. Tomorrow was the day she would die.

Suddenly, someone was behind her, breathing down her neck. She turned around and came face to face with Ember. Ember's lip curled with glee. "Don't forget about our alliance." She said in a voice sugarcoated with false sweetness. Then she turned and swaggered away, her long blonde hair swishing back and forth. Hera could feel tears budding in her eyes.

She turned back and continued devouring the food laid out before her. She knew she had gained weight over this past week, and she hated herself for it. She just wanted everything to be over.

Ember skipped on over to the fountain and grabbed one of the many glasses perched precariously in a neatly stacked tower. She filled it up, casting a glance at Adrenaline, who was also filling hers up. Adrenaline looked over at Ember, crowing, "Hey girl!"

"Hey." Ember answered flatly, remembering this Career from the chariot rides, "How much have you had to drink?" She noticed the other girl's face was already turning red.

A broad grin stretched across Adrenaline's face. "Ah been chuggin' it since the party started! Wooooo!" She threw her arms into the air and let out a large burp.

Ember narrowed her eyes. "Well, have fun drinking yourself to death." She said in a light, sarcastic tone. Then she turned and walked away, tossing her hair behind her.

"Oh, I will!" Adrenaline laughed, flashing a thumbs-up after her.

"Adrenaline, what the heck?"

Adrenaline turned to see Zane gaping at her.

"What are you doing? You're getting smashed? We have the Hunger Games tomorrow!"

"Oh, iffit's nut my _dad_." She groaned, rolling her eyes. She went to take a sip of wine, but it sloshed down the front of her dress.

Zane looked furious. "Okay, I could care less about your well-being. But gosh darn it, Adrenaline! You're on a _team_. You're a representative of District 2! Loads of people are counting on you. What are they gonna say when they see you nursing a hangover in tomorrow's Games?"

Adrenaline paused, as if actually trying to figure out an answer to his rhetorical question. "Umm...gimme a hint…" She said in a slurred voice.

Zane shook his head, exasperated. "Just forget it. _I'll _carry all of District 2's hopes on my own shoulders."

He turned and started walking away. Adrenaline laughed obnoxiously from behind him. He tried to ignore her.

"You're just gonna let her walk all over you like that?" Came a familiar voice.

Zane whipped around to see Kelsea had crept up on him. She stood there with her arms folded, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, what else am I supposed to do? I'm not her dad."

"You're her teammate." Kelsea growled, "And so am I. If she's going to choose to get wasted, it's our job to babysit her."

She led Zane back to the fountain. Adrenaline barely had time to react before Kelsea was upon her, trying to drag her away from the endless supply of alcohol.

"NOOOOO!" Adrenaline howled, struggling to free herself.

"Come on!" Kelsea snarled as Adrenaline flailed in her grip.

Zane jumped in, helping Kelsea haul their fellow Career away from the fountain. They dragged her, squirming and shrieking, towards the buffet table. They forced her into a chair. Surprisingly, she remained there, fuming at the other two.

"You need to grow up!" Kelsea snapped, "We have a job to do tomorrow. Now you're going to be sick all morning. What use are you going to be, then?"

"Dad ran an' god Mom." Adrenaline huffed. But at least she stayed in her seat. The two stayed with her for a while. Zane went and got her a few biscuits to absorb the alcohol. They tried to sober her up, but nothing seemed to be working. Adrenaline was going to totally be hungover at the start of the Games tomorrow.

Ravish had spotted the exchange going on and stayed as for from them as she could. She didn't want to be roped into babysitting Adrenaline on her last night in the Capitol. As she loitered at the buffet table, sampling anything that looked good, Dominic approached her.

"Hey." She said, nodding at him, and then returning to her dinner.

"Uh…hey." He said nervously. "I was wondering if you might want to…dance?"

Ravish lifted her eyebrows in surprise at this odd request. She could see a faint trace of color appear on Dominic's ashen cheeks as he avoided her gaze.

"It's the last night for festivities after all…" He said in a nervous voice.

"No." Ravish responded firmly.

Dominic looked crestfallen. But he didn't put up a fight. "Okay." He said in a small voice. Then he turned and walked away, hanging his head.

Ravish frowned. She hadn't realized Dominic had gotten a thing for her. She didn't blame him, considering she was another beautiful District 1 tribute. But she didn't come off seductive or flirty as the ones before her often did. _Hmph. He's nowhere near my league. _She thought, sipping delicately from a wine glass. He was so short and sickly. If she were ever seen with a boy like that, she would be the laughingstock of Panem.

She watched him cross the dance floor and meet up with Baye and Tiger-Lilly. _If it isn't the three losers of the Career pack. _Ravish thought, feeling a twinge of amusement. _Birds of a feather flock together._

"She said no." Dominic said miserably as he came walking up to his companions.

"That's a shame." Baye said, sounding contrite, "But you shouldn't have gotten your hopes up. District 1 tributes always think they're better than everyone else."

"What are you talking about?" Tiger-Lilly wondered.

"Dominic asked Ravish to dance with him." Baye stated, while Dominic mumbled, "Don't tell her…"

Tiger-Lilly's eyes were full of sympathy. "Aw, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you, Dom. But it's not like anyone can share a romance when they're in the Hunger Games together."

"I wasn't looking for a romance." Dominic mumbled, "I just wanted to dance with her."

"Well, you're welcome to hang out with us if you want." Baye offered. "Right, Tiger-Lilly?"

"Right." Tiger-Lilly replied half-heartedly. She had suddenly noticed Kalin by the fountain with Jarek. A moment later, Roam joined them. Kalin had called a meeting. Tiger-Lilly felt slightly hurt that he hadn't requested her presence, but then she remembered that her loyalties were supposed to be to the Career alliance. Besides, this was the last chance he would have to go over the plans with everyone. _I hope you can be discreet about it… _She thought silently.

Meanwhile, Angela had crept away to explore what the rest of the garden had to offer. The lighting was dimmer away from the dance floor. Fireflies flickered over a pond that reflected the moon. A tiny waterfall emitted the calming sound of rushing water. Angela crouched by the pond, soaking in the atmosphere. A large koi fish rose out of the water and stared at her with big eyes. She reached her hand into the pool and the fish nibbled on her fingers. She giggled.

This was the happiest she had felt since getting to the Capitol. In this private part of the garden, the Hunger Games felt very far away.

After a few minutes of this, Angela rose to her feet, ready to continue her exploration. Before she could take a step, a quiet voice said, "If you're looking for an escape, don't bother. They've surrounded the outer perimeter with a force field."

"Who's there?" Angela snapped, whipping around. She strained her eyes to make out any shape in the darkness. "Show yourself!"

Something shifted in the shadows. She could see two eyes shining in the shade of a tree. It was Bentley, the boy from District 12.

"Have you been following me?" Angela accused.

"No. I left the party a while ago. I don't want to be anywhere near the other tributes…or their alcohol."

"Oh." She relaxed a little bit. "Completely understandable."

Bentley didn't respond.

"You know…" Angela went on, "That was pretty brave of you, this afternoon. Saying those things on live TV."

Bentley still said nothing.

"The Gamemakers are going to get you for that, in the arena."

"I know. But no matter how you look at it, I'm going to die anyways."

Angela was surprised to hear this coming from him. "Oh yeah? What about all that stuff about your brother? Finishing what he started and all that crap?"

There was a small rustling and Bentley's eyes disappeared. "Hey! Where'd you go?" She called after him. She realized she had been pretty blunt and probably hit a few sore spots. _Oh well. _She sighed inwardly. _He _is _right about one thing. He's going to have to die if I'm going to win. _

Not wanting to run into Bentley again, she decided to head back to the party.

Near the beginning of the party, Emmett had pursued Beatriss with two glasses of wine in his hand. When he had walked up to her, she had looked surprised and asked him what he was getting at.

"I just wanted to share a drink with you." He had responded, "Is that wrong?"

But Beatriss, after some hesitation, had accepted it. Now they were sitting together, quite happy to be in one another's company.

"So why did you come chasing after me?" Beatriss wondered, staring down at her empty wine glass. "What makes me so special?"

"I thought I'd give someone the honor of sharing the evening with me." Emmett shrugged.

Beatriss lowered her eyes shyly. A sad smile spread across her face. "Oh. Well, thank you. I guess."

"What's wrong?" Emmett asked.

_What do YOU think, idiot? Everything! _Beatriss thought, feeling angry. "Nothing. Just nervous for tomorrow."

"You and me both." Emmett let out a long breath.

"Don't be nervous. I'll bet you end up winning." Beatriss said softly, trying to force a laugh.

"Well…" Emmett puffed out his chest, "Probably. But don't shortchange yourself. Maybe you'll get second."

"Thanks." Beatriss replied, but it took all of her strength not to sound sarcastic. This boy was irksome. She could see his lack of confidence well enough when he thought no one was watching. But as soon as she came near him, he acted so high and mighty. She tried to push her feelings of anger and sadness aside to concentrate on what he was saying.

"You wanna dance?" He invited.

Beatriss glanced at the dance floor. "No thanks. There's no one else out there."

"Then we'll show them how it's done!" He held out his hand to her.

When she hesitated to take it, he grabbed hers anyways. She didn't protest as he led her out there. She just kept wondering why he was doing this. Men only wanted women for what they could do for them. Her father, and every other man she had met were like that. Emmett had to be just like them. Right?

Meanwhile, Hapi was growing increasingly frustrated with Saffron. The pompous Career had been playing the piano nonstop, for over an hour. Hapi could wait no longer. He walked right up and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but you've been playing the piano all night. Would you be willing to part with it for a short ten minutes?"

Saffron blatantly ignored him, his fingers flying up and down the keyboard. Hapi could feel rage swell his throat.

"Fine. I'll wait." He said in a dangerous voice.

But he didn't move from his spot. In fact, he moved even closer to the Frenchman, standing at his shoulder and slightly brushing up against him.

_He's trying to awkward me away from my piano! _Saffron thought, outraged, _But I'll show the mongrel. No one toys with a Le Bel! _

Meanwhile, back at the wine fountain, Kalin was slowly trying to gather his alliance. He had slipped a message to Jarek and the hyper boy was currently running around trying to inform everyone. Roam had shown up twice and then randomly wandered off. Kalin wondered if he had ADD.

Then, without warning, Ivan stumbled over and fell face first into the fountain, submerging his head. "Whoa, buddy!" Kalin said, pulling him out. "Are you trying to drown yourself?"

"Dun temme how ta lib my life!" Ivan cried out heatedly. His face was beet red.

"I think someone's had a little too much to drink." Kalin said, frowning.

"Lemme go!" Ivan demanded, ripping away from Kalin's grip. He swung a fist at Kalin, but the younger boy easily dodged it. "Juss lemme drown in my vodka!" Ivan practically wailed. He turned and lurched away.

Kalin was relieved to see him go. The Russian was more than just a little bit stressed. He sat back down at the fountain, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the rest of his alliance. Luckily, all of the other tributes were off doing something else. This was the perfect time for their meeting.

Scarlet had heard the news from Jarek and ran off to find Seth. She found him sulking by the dessert table. "Hey Seth!" She greeted, "Is something wrong?"

"They lack gummy worms!" Seth wailed. All the grief in the world could be found in those four words. His eyes were wide with dismay.

"Well, it's not exactly a fancy Capitol food, is it?" Scarlet said, biting back a laugh, "Anyways, we'd better get going. Kalin called a meeting by the fountain."

"But I must have gummy worms!" Seth protested.

Scarlet briefly wondered if he had gotten into the wine. But she kindly said, "Don't worry, Seth. I'll help you find a servant later and we can order some. But first things first, we've got to take care of business, okay?"

Seth sighed. "Very well. I thank you for your benevolent utterances. You are truly a one of a kind demon."

Scarlet's eyes widened in astonishment. "What?" She shrieked in a high-pitched voice, "I try to be nice and you call me a demon? You jerk!" She turned and stomped away, muttering about how rudely everyone had treated her today.

Seth struggled to keep up with her, apologizing. "It was a compliment!" He tried to explain, but she would hear none of it.

They gathered by the fountain with everyone else. Seth looked upset while Scarlet glowered into the purple depths.

"Is that everyone?" Kalin wondered.

Roam came wandering back over and sat down.

"That's everyone!" Jarek said cheerfully, handing the newcomers a glass of wine.

"Wait! What about Tiger-Lilly?" Galloway asked.

"She's with the Careers now. She's a double agent." Kalin murmured. "Anyways…"

"We're gonna have a drinking contest!" Jarek shouted in a loud voice.

"Huh…?" Amara looked confused.

"Not really. Just pretend we're all buzzed and having a lovely conversation about which of us can down the most in case anyone gets suspicious." Kalin explained.

"Oh…" Amara said, nodding. She could see Kalin's face was slightly red, as if he had already drunk a few himself.

"Now, I'll try to make this quick…" Kalin whispered. His eyes darted around suspiciously. "We're going to attack the Cornucopia on the evening of the first day, during the anthem. Find a spot nearby to hide so that you can remain hidden until the very last second."

"Why during the anthem?" Luke interrupted, "If Tiger-Lilly's on our side, why can't she serve as guard one night and then give us a signal to attack?"

"Because we can't count on her being put on guard duty." Kalin insisted. "The Careers might not trust her. And we should attack the first night because that's when we'll be at our strongest. Anyways-"

"Here comes someone!" Scarlet hissed urgently.

Ravish was making her way towards the fountain. Her eyes were narrowed with suspicion and she clutched an empty wine glass in her hand.

"I'll get rid of her. Pretend you're having a contest." Kalin mumbled.

As the rest of his alliance knocked back some shots, Kalin threw his arms up and shouted at Ravish, "HEY GURRRL WHAT YOU DOIN' GURRRL! Girl, you lookin' fine! Come on ova here, girl!"

Ravish completely changed course and walked away, looking disgusted. Amara giggled. "Good job, Kalin."

"As I was saying, we've got to be careful during the Bloodbath. I don't want any of you fighting. If you're fast, get in and get out. If not, don't worry about it. I discussed an idea with Tiger-Lilly. If she gets the chance, she's going to try and hide some weapons for us."

"An awful lot of this is riding on Tiger-Lilly…" Luke mumbled, "Can we trust her?"

"Of course we can." Kalin said firmly.

"A question." Seth raised his hand. "Why don't we fight initially at the Cornucopia? We outnumber them. We can take it right away."

"Because surprise is one of our best weapons." Kalin replied, "But I was thinking during the Bloodbath we'll need some sort of distraction, so the Careers don't cut down our numbers. You guys got any ideas?"

"Oh!" Roam gasped. "I-I know!"

Everyone perked up, looking to him for an answer. He hesitated.

"…I forget." He confessed.

"Hmm…" Kalin frowned. They all sat in silence for about ten seconds. Then he snapped his fingers, declaring, "I've got it! We'll perform a flash mob."

"That's a great idea!" Jarek gasped.

"It was a joke."

"Oh, it was a joke—HAHAHA!"

"Uh-oh," Amara whispered, "Here come more Careers. I think we should get outta here."

"Okay. Act like your drunk." Kalin reached into the wine fountain and fished out a large ice cube just as the Careers walked up. "Look at _this_!" He declared in an obnoxious voice, "They put ice in the fountain! Can you believe it? Look at it! _Look at it!_" He shoved it in Adrenaline's face and she started cracking up. It was easy to see she was heavily intoxicated.

"Look Zany, it's an ice cube!" She was laughing so hard, tears were running down her face.

Zane and Kelsea exchanged a glance. Kalin grinned and shoved the ice cube in his mouth, sucking on it. The rest of his alliance forced laughs. Jarek was dumping another glass of wine down his throat.

"You'd better be careful." Kelsea warned him in a cold voice, "You might wake up dead one morning."

"You're totally right!" Amara giggled in her best drunkard voice. "Don't worry, Jarek, I'll get you some meatballs so that doesn't happen!" She started lurching away from the group of tributes, swaying her hips as she went. Then she accidentally knocked into Adrenaline.

The girl exploded like a ticking time bomb. Before she knew it, Amara was pinned to the floor by the crazed Career. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!" She bellowed, her saliva spraying the poor girl's face, "You hit me?"

"I didn't! Please!" Amara begged, fearing for her life.

Suddenly, Kalin and Luke were there, hauling her off of her. Adrenaline screamed and kicked with all her might. Zane and Kelsea were instantly upon the two boys, seeing them as a threat to their teammate. The rest of the alliance sprang into the fray. The rest of the Careers (except Saffron) came running. Then, taken in by the mob mentality, a fight broke out between every single tribute.

Food flew through the air as buffet tables were knocked over. Gamemakers and governors ran for their lives, screeching for security. The dance floor was alive with tributes, but none of them were dancing.

Ember was trying to strangle Baye. Angela was clinging to Luke's back, digging her nails into his face as he tried to buck her off. Kalin was trying to punch Zane, but Kelsea threw herself at him, knocking him off his feet. Jarek went leaping to his rescue, but Ravish sent him flying headfirst into the miniature chocolate fountain. Galloway helped him out and tried to drag him away from the fight, but he was eager to get back in.

Scarlet's blonde hair was dripping with gravy as she ran for cover alongside Dominic and Seth. Amara shot after them, terrified that her attacker would pursue her. Tiger-Lilly ran in confused circles as Roam wrestled on the floor with Ivan. Emmett was trying to get in on it while Beatriss struggled to restrain him. Hera had taken cover behind one of the overturned tables. Bentley stood off to the side, just shaking his head.

And then there was Adrenaline. She was at the heart of it all, screeching like a wild banshee.

_I am surrounded by ignoramuses and fools… _Saffron thought in disgust, trying to ignore the chaos and focus on his music. Something brushed his shoulder, and he was once again reminded of the Asian that refused to leave his side. Fed up, Saffron abruptly cut off the song he was playing and whipped around to face Hapi. "Do you mind?" He growled.

"You've had the piano all night." Hapi said through gritted teeth, "It's _my _turn."

Saffron rose to his feet, thrusting a finger at Hapi's chest. "You think just because you're _Asian_, you have the right to play the piano? You foul-blooded half-breed!"

Hapi didn't respond. His hands flew to Saffron's arm. He wrenched it towards him and sunk his teeth into the boy's bare skin. Saffron started rattling off curse words and flailing his arms, but Hapi hung on.

The riot dragged on for a few minutes. At one point, Ivan picked up Emmett and heaved him across the room. Emmett crashed into the speaker system and the music was cut off abruptly. The only sound that could be heard was the crashing chords of the grand piano as Saffron smashed Hapi's head into the keys over and over again, trying to get him to release his arm…

Finally, security showed up. They pried the tributes apart. A few of them were forced to use pepper spray to subdue the craziest ones. Once the riot was over, the tributes were quickly rushed from the scene. A lot of them sported cuts and bruises, or were soaked with wine and food particles. They were forced into a room where 24 chairs had been set up. They were made to sit in order of district.

Tensions were high, and it seemed as if another fight would break out at any moment. But then a man that seemed to command attention came strolling out in front of them. His beady eyes were sparking with rage and his mustache seemed to bristle. He stopped at the front of the room and swept his disapproving gaze over each and every tribute.

After a minute of silent consideration, he introduced himself as one of the coordinators of the Games. It was his job to help set up the festivities and make sure everything ran smoothly. When he was through with his introduction, he spoke in a dangerous voice. "I…am appalled…at the behavior you children displayed tonight."

Some lowered their heads in guilt. Others bravely met the enraged coordinator's gaze. Only Jarek was smiling, his pink tongue poking out of his mouth to try and lick up the hard, chocolate mask that had formed on his face and spiked up his hair.

"You are supposed to be esteemed guests of the Capitol," The man went on, "You are expected to be mature competitors. Do you realize the damages you caused tonight? Our grand piano was _not _built to suffer such abuse!" He glared at Saffron and Hapi.

Saffron cleared his throat and said, "For the record, _I _am a prodigy…"

"DID I SAY YOU COULD SPEAK?" The man roared, flecks of spit flying from his mouth. "I haven't even covered the worst of it yet! You kids ruined a great tradition of the Games. The ball was already a controversial event and in danger of being cancelled, but you went and got it cancelled for _good_! The President just made the announcement that the ball will no longer commence in the coming years!"

None of the tributes felt too disappointed. Why should they care about the coming years? Only one of them would be alive, anyways. And even then, the mentors didn't get to attend the ball.

"If you don't care about that little tidbit…maybe you'll care about this…" The coordinator went on slowly, "The Games have been postponed. They'll be taking place the day after tomorrow."

There was an outraged gasp from the most serious of Careers.

"You can't postpone the Hunger Games!" Ravish wailed.

"We already did. The President himself said that he didn't want a bunch of hungover tributes in the arena. Besides, some of you have minor injuries that need to be treated."

"It's _your _fault for giving us wine!" Adrenaline screeched.

"The wine is a privilege!" The coordinator shot back, "It's to give you a taste of something you could never experience! It's _your _fault for ingesting more than you could handle!"

Adrenaline opened her mouth to argue, but Zane interrupted her. "Then what are we going to do tomorrow? Do we get another day of training?"

"No. You're going to sit in your rooms and think about what you've done, like the immature children that you've proven to be."

A few of the Careers groaned. The rest of the tributes couldn't have looked happier. One more day to live. It was the best reward they could have gotten.

"Now get out of here," The coordinator growled, looking disgusted, "The very sight of you makes me sick."

As if to add to his statement, Adrenaline keeled over and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the floor.

**Hoping for the Bloodbath in the next chapter? NOPE. (Chuck Testa) You have to wait another chapter. Are you surprised I lied? Because you shouldn't be.**


	15. Postponement

**Here's the hotel chapter! Since it would be boring to have them all sitting in their rooms sulking, the tributes are free to roam their living quarters and interact with one another for purposes of last-minute character development. And all of the escorts/mentors/stylists are remaining in their lovely plot holes because no one cares about those freaks. Yes, obviously they wouldn't be allowed this much free reign IRL but that's why this is fanfiction! So shut up and read, FOOLS! Some of these poor souls are going down in the next chapter and they'd like to be in the spotlight for a little while longer. **

**ALSO, new poll! Go and vote for your favorite characters after you read this chapter. As for whom you all seem to think will win…here are the results!**

**1****st**** Kelsea with 9 votes**

**2****nd**** Scarlet with 5 votes**

**3****rd**** Ravish, Adrenaline, Seth, Baye, Roam, Bentley with 4 votes**

**4****th**** Saffron, Luke, Tiger-Lilly with 3 votes**

**5****th**** Zane, Ivan, Hapi, Jarek with 2 votes**

**6****th**** Amara, Angela, Emmett, Kalin with 1 vote**

**7****th**** Dominic, Ember, Hera, Galloway, Beatriss with 0 votes**

**I made it a blind poll this time so the results wouldn't get skewed. The favorite character poll will be blind too. But as always, I'll have the results for ya!**

"So most of the Careers use swords, eh?"

"Yeah, but not all of them. Kelsea likes throwing stars, Adrenaline prefers a saw, and Dominic and Baye use a bow and arrows."

Kalin frowned. "Hmm…well, so do I. Hopefully I can get ahold of one before they do."

"Okay, now it's your turn." Tiger-Lilly told him, "Just in case anyone needs a weapon after the Bloodbath."

They were on the second-highest floor of the building, lounging around in the main room. A large TV, set on mute, contained the image of Caesar as he recapped the interviews. A few snacks were spread out on the coffee table before them. Kalin was lazing in a plush armchair, his bare feet on the table, currently suffering from a bit of a headache. Tiger-Lilly was curled up on the couch, her feet tucked neatly under her.

"I don't know everyone's weapon." Kalin confessed, "But I do know that Scarlet uses a javelin and Seth uses a scythe. I remember Luke being pretty handy with a sword too. The others never really gave me an answer…if you can, just grab knives for them. It's best if everyone's armed, and there are usually a lot of them."

Tiger-Lilly nodded. "Okay. And when you guys overtake the Cornucopia, I can leave the Careers, right?"

"Yeah. But in case we don't manage to steal it from them, it'd probably be best if you left them anyways. They'd be wondering how everyone managed to get ahold of a weapon." Kalin said in a low voice, as if someone might be listening.

Tiger-Lilly took a deep breath of air and let it out. "I'm so nervous." She whispered. "I don't want to die."

Kalin's green eyes were fresh with sympathy. "Me too." He said quietly, "I wish all of us could win."

Tiger-Lilly suddenly had the urge to hug him. She was so grateful to have him as a friend. "Y'know, it's too bad we weren't friends before this." She gave a small laugh.

"Yeah," Kalin agreed, "You're pretty cool, Tiger-Lilly. I'd have like to gotten to know you a little better."

At this moment, a buzzer rang. Both tributes looked around.

"What's that?" Kalin asked in a hushed voice.

Jarek's voice suddenly sounded on an intercom, saying, "Hi Kalin! I'm in the elevator. Can I come in?"

"Oh, it's the intercom system thingy!" Tiger-Lilly declared. She didn't know what else to call it. The elevators would let right out into the large common rooms on each floor. You could ride the elevators to different floors, but then you'd have to be let in by the tributes that lived on that floor. They had keys that could open the doors.

"Kalin, are you there?" Jarek's voice droned.

Tiger-Lilly stood up, but Kalin quickly muttered, "Don't let him in."

"What, don't you like Jarek?"

"He's all right. I just don't feel like dealing with him today."

An amused grin crossed Tiger-Lilly's face. She understood what he meant. Jarek was like an unwanted sidekick, following Kalin around like a lost puppy dog. He wasn't the kind of guy you would want around during a mild hangover. He was a major suck-up, but he had a good heart. She was glad to have him in the alliance.

But she honored Kalin's wishes and didn't let him in.

Jarek stood in the elevator for a while, jabbing the intercom button and repeating, "Kalin? Kalin. Kalin, you there? Are you having a hangover? I threw up a few times last night, but I'm okay now. Are you okay? Kalin?"

Finally, the elevator gave a lurch and started taking Jarek down to a lower floor. The button for District 6's floor had lit up. Either Ember or Roam was headed out. Jarek silently hoped it was the latter. The elevator slowed to a stop at its destination and opened its doors. There stood Roam. His eyes widened with recognition at the sight of Jarek.

"Hi Roam!" Jarek greeted, "Wanna ride the elevator with me?"

Roam nodded and stepped in with him. The doors closed behind him.

"So where you headed?" Jarek wondered, holding a finger towards the long line of shiny buttons.

Roam shrugged. "N-nowhere. Wanted…to-to g-get…"

"Get away from Ember?" Jarek helped him along, "I don't blame you. She seems kind of pushy!"

"K-kind of." Roam agreed, but he knew that was an understatement.

With nothing else to do, they decided to gather the rest of their alliance for a little powwow. "We can stay in my room!" Jarek suggested, directing the elevator down a floor to pick up Amara and Luke.

Unlike Kalin, these two let him in. Jarek bounced around the room, happily declaring, "Nice place you got! It looks exactly like mine!"

"Is there something you need?" Luke asked, narrowing his eyes.

"We thought we'd hang out with our buds in the tribute alliance!" Jarek smiled.

Luke frowned. "I don't think so. Amara and I just want to relax today. Right, Amara?"

"Right." She agreed in a muffled voice. She was collapsed on the couch, her face buried into a downy pillow. Caesar Flickerman was on the TV.

"Besides, you'll look suspicious running around gathering up tributes. I don't think Kalin would like that." Luke said in a flat voice.

Jarek looked disappointed. "Okay. Later!" He walked back over the elevator and pressed a button, but all of them were in use. They waited a few minutes for one. Jarek was surprisingly quiet, and Roam just let his mind wander as they waited for it.

When they had gone, Luke crossed the room and leaned on the top of the couch, staring at the TV. Caesar was saying, "…And as you all know, the Hunger Games have been postponed a day in order to make a few late additions to the arena. We tried to catch one of the Gamemakers for an interview, but the only thing they offered up was that they were adding another muttation. I can hardly wait until tomorrow!"

"I guess that's their cover for the riot. Wouldn't want to broadcast that since it can be seen as an act of rebellion…" Luke noted.

Amara removed her face from the pillow to look at her district partner. "I don't think it's a cover at all. They're mad, so they're making the arena worse. It's our punishment."

"If they wanted to punish us, they should have just sent us all in today instead of allowing us another day to live." Luke scoffed.

"The Capitol doesn't want to see a bunch of hungover tributes tripping over one another." Amara answered quietly. A long silence passed between them.

"I've been wondering…" Luke said suddenly, "What do you think of Kalin?"

Amara lifted her eyebrows, looking at Luke curiously. "I like him. He's nice. Why?"

"I don't know. Do you really think he knows what he's doing? What if he gets us all killed?"

For some reason, it annoyed Amara that Luke was questioning Kalin's methods. "Don't worry about it, Luke. Everything's gone smoothly so far."

"Everything's gone smoothly because we're not in the Games yet." Luke argued, sounding frustrated, "I mean, the guy only scored a 7…"

"I only scored a 6." Amara pointed out, irritated.

"Well that's okay. You're a girl and you're not organizing this whole—"

"Oh! So just because I'm a girl that means I'm expected to get a lower score?" Amara said heatedly, "Just so you know, the favorite for this year is a girl!" She was surprised to feel anger burning within her. She was usually so quiet. The Games were changing her already, and they hadn't even started yet.

"That came out all wrong…" Luke mumbled, embarrassed, "What I meant to say was…"

"I know what you meant." Amara narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to go take a nap now, if you'll excuse me." She got up and headed towards the door that led to her bedroom. Before closing it behind her, she turned to Luke and said in a calmer voice, "You can leave the alliance if you want, Luke. But I'm going to stick with it."

"…So am I." He agreed in a quiet voice. "Sorry if I offended you."

"You're forgiven. Sorry if I overreacted." Amara responded curtly, "I'll see you after my nap."

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Luke feeling guilty and frustrated.

Earlier, during the time Jarek and Roam had been waiting for the elevator, Ravish had ridden it up to District 2's floor. Zane let her in right away.

"What's up?" She greeted, striding into the room, "Where's Adrenaline?"

Zane didn't even need to answer her. They could both hear a resounding crash, followed by mournful wailing. The wailing turned to retching.

"She's dealing with her hangover rather destructively." Zane said lightly, "Feel free to go in her room, if you have an early death wish."

"No thanks." Ravish grimaced. "I'm pretty bored so I thought we'd have a nice little gathering on the roof of this place. I'll gladly provide the snacks."

"In other words, you'll be the one ordering the Avoxes around." Zane mused, "Sounds like fun. I'm sick of hanging around here."

"And we can talk about who we want to kill!" Ravish said cheerfully.

Zane laughed. "How can I resist?"

They entered the elevator and it climbed up a floor. Ravish pushed the intercom button and said, "Baye, are you there? It's Ravish and Zane."

They waited a minute for Baye to open the doors. "Come on in. Seth already left." She invited politely.

"No, you come in here. We're having a little get-together with the others on the roof." Ravish told her.

"Okay. Where's Saffron and Adrenaline?" She wondered, stepping inside.

"Adrenaline's having a hangover…" Zane said bluntly.

"And Saffron wasn't in his room." Ravish finished.

"Shouldn't you send someone to look for him?" Baye wondered.

"Eh. Let's grab Kelsea and Dominic first. We can forget Tiger-Lilly since she's as good as dead." Ravish shrugged.

Kelsea let them in almost instantly, as if she had been preparing to leave herself. She didn't look too surprised to see everyone. When they told her their idea, she was glad to join them. She much would have rather spent the day practicing with her throwing stars, but she didn't have access to them at the moment. Chilling with the Careers would have to suffice.

"Okay. Grab Dominic and we'll get going." Ravish told her.

"Dominic's been sick in bed all day. Let's just leave him there." Kelsea replied in a monotone voice.

Zane frowned. "Uh-oh. I hope he's all right for tomorrow."

"It really doesn't matter." Kelsea said, sounding bored, "Let's go."

They rode the elevator all the way up to the roof. Once there, Ravish declared, "Okay, who wants to go find Saffron?"

No one volunteered.

"Fine." Kelsea said suddenly, "I will. Besides, it's way too hot up here."

It was true. The sun was beating down on them. And Kelsea hated the sun. So she got back in the elevator and rode it all the way down to the ground floor. She doubted Saffron would be stowing away in any other rooms, since he wasn't the type to make friends with anyone.

Meanwhile, Seth was using one of the other elevators, keeping it at District 9's floor. He was pushing the intercom button so hard his finger was turning white. In his other hand, he clutched a bowl of colorful, wriggly treats.

"Miss Kirkland, please receive my sincerest expression of regret!" He begged, "I brought gummy worms…"

"No! Go away!" Came Scarlet's shouted response. "Everyone's being a jerk to me!"

"Please. I meant it as a compliment."

"Some compliment!"

"But—"

"Get out of here, Seth!"

"Wait!" He tried to explain how it was a compliment, but she had already gone. He sighed in defeat, pressing the button that would take him back to his own floor. He poked a gummy worm into his mouth and felt a little bit better.

He was in his room for no more than a minute when his own buzzer rang.

"…Anyone there?" It was Jarek's voice.

Seth slid in the key and opened the door. Roam reached out, grabbed Seth's arm, and yanked him into the tiny room. Jarek quickly shut the door behind him.

"What…?" Seth stood there, eyes wide with astonishment.

"Sorry," Jarek said quickly, hitting the button for his own floor. "Just didn't want Baye to see us. She's a Career, right?"

"Correct." Seth mumbled, "May I ask what this is all about?"

"We just thought we'd get everyone together and hang out." Jarek grinned.

Seth narrowed his eyes. "I desire to return to my private quarters."

"Don't be like that!" Jarek whined. The doors opened and he dragged Seth and Roam into the room behind him. "Let's have a party!"

Galloway was sitting in a chair, looking annoyed. "You can't have a party with four people, Jarek."

"Then we can talk about what's coming tomorrow. We can figure out some way to distract the Careers during the Bloodbath." Jarek suggested.

"We already know what's coming." She countered, "And I doubt _anyone _wants to talk about tomorrow. Every second that ticks by, we're closer to inevitable death."

Roam's shoulders sagged and he bowed his head. Seth looked away. Jarek's smile faded. They all knew it. There was no avoiding it.

"Okay, then let's tell funny stories!" Jarek exclaimed.

Galloway sighed and turned away. Roam smiled, appreciating Jarek's attempt at brightening everyone's day. "I-I-I ha-have one…" He offered. "S-so one t-time s-someone tried-tried to sssteal this car fr-from a factory…and…"

That's how they spent the rest of the afternoon. At first, Seth and Galloway had been reluctant to 'party' with the other two. But it was nice to let loose and tell a few stories that reminded them of home. They even ordered a few snacks to share. Jarek's idea had been a good one after all.

Meanwhile, Beatriss was pacing around her room, tossing different objects at the wall. The shattering of decorative valuables didn't please her. She wanted knives. She wanted to practice with her main weapon. _Why couldn't they give us another day of training? _She thought, frustrated.

It was then that an idea struck her. She snatched up the phone that had been provided for her and placed an order for a steak dinner. She waited impatiently, praying that they would provide a knife that she could practice with. A few minutes passed and then the door opened, revealing an Avox man carrying a tray. Beatriss stepped over, eyeing it hungrily.

The steak had already been cut into neat, bite-sized squares. There was no knife. Annoyance plucked at her heart, but she accepted the food anyways. As soon as the Avox had gone, she dumped it on the floor. She wasn't hungry. She was dreadfully bored.

Then she remembered Emmett. She wondered what he was doing. _Well, I have nothing better to do. _As she walked out of her room, Bentley came out of his. Their eyes locked.

"Going somewhere?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Bentley nodded. They entered the elevator together. "Where you headed?" He muttered.

"District 9."

Bentley pushed the button for her floor, and then he hit the ground button. The elevator flew down. She hit the buzzer, which served as a doorbell. Scarlet's voice came on.

"I told you to go away!" She screeched.

"Um…it's Beatriss…" She said in a soft voice.

No response. Then… "Hey Beatriss." Emmett's voice said, "I'll let you in. Gimme a sec."

As they waited for him to open the door, Beatriss glanced at Bentley. "So why are you going to the ground floor?" She asked, a little bit suspicious.

"I'm going to escape." He replied evenly.

Then the doors slid open. "Hi!" Emmett greeted, grinning. He gently linked arms with Beatriss and led her into his room. She just kept staring in shock at Bentley as the doors closed between them. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing." Beatriss said faintly, "Just thought I'd visit. Where'd your district partner go?"

"She's sulking in her room. C'mon, I'll show you mine." He led her to his bedroom.

"Why?" She wondered, "All of the bedrooms look the same, don't they?"

Emmett just smiled and didn't say anything as he showed her inside. His room was a lot neater than hers. The elegant wallpaper had been covered with a bunch of loose-leaf paper. Each sheet had a different picture on it. She sat on the bed, running her hand on the smooth covers, staring at the pictures.

"What is all this?" She breathed, scanning the wall.

"I've been drawing all morning." Emmett declared proudly, "It's what I do in my free time."

Beatriss stood up, looking closely at each picture. Most of it was different landscapes. The skyline of the Capitol or the rolling fields of Emmett's home. There were animals too, and people.

"Who's this?" She asked, pointing to one.

"That's my brother, Elias."

"It's really good." She praised.

"Which one's your favorite? I'll gladly give you one." Emmett offered.

Beatriss wondered if he was serious. "We have the Hunger Games tomorrow." She said bluntly.

"Okay. Then how about I draw you?" He suggested.

Beatriss blinked, looking confused. "Why?"

"Because I want to. Sit down." He grabbed up a sketchbook and a pencil, telling her that the Capitol would give them anything if they asked. Well, except a means for escape. He went on and on about different things as Beatriss sat there, still and silent. He talked about his home and his thoughts on each tribute. He wondered what was in store for tomorrow, voicing all of Beatriss's concerns. And she sat, quite blissfully listening to him ramble on about all sorts of things.

When he was done, he flipped the sketchbook around, announcing, "Ta-Da!"

A smile slowly worked its way across Beatriss's face. "It's beautiful." She whispered. She stood up and came forward, placing her hands on his. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his cheek. She pulled back, searching his russet-colored eyes for some sort of reaction. He didn't even hesitate. He thrust his face forward, catching her full on the mouth.

The kiss lasted for a full ten seconds. Then Beatriss abruptly broke it off, pulling away from Emmett. Her eyes were wide and she was blushing deeply.

"I should go." She said quickly, releasing him and rushing from the room.

She was grateful that Emmett didn't pursue her. She hurried onto the elevator and rode it back to the top floor, her heart pounding. A rush of different emotions threatened to overwhelm her. Most prominent, fear. She couldn't understand any of it. Finally, the elevator arrived back at her room. She staggered inside, her legs shaking.

Bentley was slouched in a chair, his face buried in his hands. He looked up when he heard Beatriss enter. "I couldn't escape." He said bluntly.

Beatriss just stared at him, trying to control herself. "What did you do?" She asked in a shaking voice.

Bentley shrugged. "There's a force field at every turn. So I just tried walking out the front door. I thought it was worth a try. Unfortunately, security grabbed me."

Beatriss lifted her eyebrows, blinking back surprise. She was astounded that he would take such a risk. "Well, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you." She replied. Then she returned to her quarters, shutting the door behind her.

Meanwhile, Kelsea was wandering around the ground floor. It was an endless maze of lobbies and rooms. She passed hordes of Avoxes and officials that gave her suspicious looks, but she ignored everyone, even those that called out to her. She had wandered down an empty wing of the floor when she heard it.

The faint sound of a piano came from down the hallway. Someone was playing a lilting waltz. Curious, Kelsea followed the sound, locating the room it was coming from. She peered through the door, and sure enough, there was Saffron sitting at the piano. He was facing towards her, but his gaze was focused on the keys.

She pushed open the door and he abruptly stopped playing, his head shooting up to see who had intruded. "How long have you been there?" He said sharply, "Were you spying on me? How unpleasant…"

"I wasn't spying." Kelsea interjected, "Rubbish called a little meeting on the roof of the building. I came to get you."

Saffron glared at his hands. "I wish to stay here with my music." He said simply.

Kelsea shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't blame you. Although I'm surprised to hear you playing Tchaikovsky. I thought you hated Russians."

"There is no such thing as racism when it comes to music." Saffron insisted. A small smirk slid across his face. "Though I am impressed that you knew what I was playing. Most fools can't even tell a piano from a pipe organ."

"Well, you're not the only aristocrat here, Mr. Fancypants." Kelsea said coolly, folding her arms, "After all, a noble must be versed in all fields."

Saffron's eyebrow lifted in surprise. "Forgive me, Cutthroat. I had you marked as a peasant." He said curtly.

"No problem. Although I _wish _I were a peasant. Then maybe I wouldn't be in this horrible existence." Kelsea sighed.

Saffron tilted his head in wonderment. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Surely you can understand. I grew up as a victim of my parents' high aspiration for social status. I got anything I wanted…as long as I behaved…and sat still…and didn't speak unless spoken to. They forced me into learning the art of tea and all sorts of crap when I would have much rather learned how to wield a knife. They even arranged a marriage for me. I had no free will...that's why I volunteered. I assume the same goes for you."

"No, it doesn't." Saffron murmured, "My father discouraged the very hobbies your parents forced onto you. I am one of the few of the pure bloodline. I have been slated to become the next family head since birth. But my father decided that my destiny lay with the Hunger Games—only by winning the Hunger Games can I bring the ultimate honor to my family."

Kelsea narrowed her eyes disbelievingly. "If that's true, then how are you so good at playing the piano?"

Saffron hesitated. "When I was young, I owned a number of instruments. But my father had them all thrown away. He said my passion for music was a mere distraction. And then, before the Reaping…" Saffron's throat closed with grief. Over time, he had gotten over the loss of his instruments. But thinking of his doves brought up fresh pain.

"That's ridiculous," Kelsea scoffed, "I can't believe our parents are both stupid, controlling jerks, yet completely opposite in what they want us to do."

"My father is not stupid!" Saffron flared up, looking furious, "He did what was best for me. Art is not the realm of the noble class. The joy of creation is the domain of peasants. Our role is to be patrons and promoters of the artists we admire—not to be artists ourselves! A noble who sows his own wheat is a fool."

Kelsea stared at him with cold eyes, scrutinizing him. "I can see your father has you completely brainwashed." Saffron opened his mouth to protest, but Kelsea went on, "Well, maybe not completely. After all, you're sitting at a piano, aren't you?" With that, she turned to leave. She paused with her hand on the doorknob.

"You may be noble, but you still think with a peasant's values…" Saffron mumbled from behind her, "My world is different from yours."

"No it's not." She said, without turning around, "We're all living in the same one." Pleased that she had gotten the last word, Kelsea slipped out the door and closed it behind her.

In response, she heard a crashing devil's chord emit from the room. Saffron's way of giving her the finger, probably. Feeling mildly amused, she went to locate the elevator and ride back to the roof of the building.

Saffron, meanwhile, had started playing an angry revision of Beethoven's 5th.

_How dare she! _He thought furiously, _I am not brainwashed! If I were brainwashed, then I would…! _He let his hands fall from the piano, allowing the silence envelop him. He thought back to his father's farewell. How he had told them to slay the Careers when he was done with them. But he didn't want to kill his own allies. It wasn't honorable. He knew it would disappoint his father, but his playing the piano would also upset him, yet he still did that.

"Forgive me, Father." He spoke aloud, his voice echoing in the empty room, "But I'll be playing the Hunger Games by my own rules."

Meanwhile, the Careers were having their meeting on the roof. There was a nice garden up there and they were lazing in the shade of the some leafy bushes. Kelsea went to join them. "He's not coming." She said simply, sitting down in the neatly trimmed grass.

"Figures." Ravish rolled her eyes.

"So what were you talking about?"

"Saying who we want to kill the most in the Bloodbath." Ravish told her, a twinkle of excitement alighting in her eyes, "Of course, it all depends on who we're placed by at the beginning."

"You're turn, Kelsea." Baye said, trying to look cheerful.

"…Well, that 12-year old brat needs to stop sticking her nose where it doesn't belong." Kelsea said blankly, staring off into space.

"Oh yeah, Angela." Zane snorted. "She's not too bright, is she? For insulting us like that…"

"She's not too bright for spying on us either." Kelsea continued, nodding her head at something past the Careers. They whipped around to see a little face peering out at them from a bush a few yards away. There was a loud rustling as Angela sprang out of it and tried to run past them and get to the elevator.

The Careers easily caught her. Ravish grabbed Angela's arm and threw her to the ground. Angela landed hard on her elbows and knees. There she remained, glaring up at the four Careers that were slowly circling her like a pack of hyenas. She wanted more than anything to push them to the ground, but she was heavily outnumbered and she knew it.

"If it isn't the little twerp who thinks she can take on the big, bad Careers…" Ravish said in a singsong voice.

"And you called _us _idiots." Zane said dryly.

"Go on! Do your worst." Angela challenged, her eyes narrowed dangerously, "I'm not afraid of you!"

"Oh, you should be." Ravish hissed.

Kelsea, as usual, was looking bored, while Baye watched the exchange with wide eyes. As if she seriously thought they were going to hurt the little girl.

"Unfortunately, we'll just have to kill you once we're in the arena. A shame we have to wait so long…but I think I speak for everyone when I say the thrill of anticipation is the best part." Ravish said, looking triumphant.

"You can try!" Angela snarled.

Ravish stood in front of Angela, towering over her. A cruel smile played at the edge of her light pink lips. "Remind me what you said in your interview, Angela? 'They'll have to find me first and then they'll have to catch me,' right?"

Angela didn't respond. She looked furious.

"Well, we already found you once. And what do you know? …We caught you too." She leaned down, her voice silky smooth as she whispered, "If I were you, I wouldn't let it happen again."

"I won't." Angela said through gritted teeth.

Ravish straightened up. "We'll see about that." She laughed lightly, "Now, get out of here."

Angela stood up and ran for the elevator, fighting every urge she had to run back and attack the favorite of the Games. She smashed her fist into the button that would bring her back to her floor. When she was back in the living quarters that belonged to District 7, she practically collapsed with relief.

She could hear Ivan in the bathroom, emptying whatever was in his stomach. She doubted there was much left, considering he'd been in there all morning. A few moments later, he came out, wiping his mouth.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." He croaked, looking miserable.

"I wish," was Angela's response.

Meanwhile, in District 8's room, Hera was lounging on the sofa, watching Caesar's recaps of the interviews. She had come away with some of the worst ratings. It only made her feel even more awful. She desperately wanted to order food and gorge herself, but she was too miserable to even look at the menu. She knew she would only end up ordering everything they had to offer. Then a number of Avoxes would show up with the food, their faces silently judging her for what she was.

She didn't want anything to do with anyone. She was only too pleased that her district partner had disappeared for the afternoon.

Suddenly, the piercing sound of the buzzer assaulted her ears. She froze, wondering who could possibly be on the other side of the elevator doors. The intercom clicked on and Ember's voice filled the room.

"Heraaa…" She cooed in a dangerous voice, "I know you're in there. And I'm going to find you. If not here, then in the lobby. If not in the lobby, then in the kitchen. If not in the kitchen, then in the bathroom…"

She went on and on. Hera just sat there, petrified, praying that Ember would leave her alone. Finally, Ember's voice ceased and she could hear the elevator moving to a different floor. She let out a huge sigh of relief.

Hera's stomach growled, reminding her that she was starving. She didn't want to stay cooped up in here and desperately needed something to eat. But Ember was running around looking for her. Was it safe to go out?

Deciding that the call of food could not be ignored, Hera got in an elevator and rode it down to the ground floor. She walked around, wondering if they had locked up the kitchen for the day. _Oh no…there's knives in the kitchen. Of course it'll be locked. _But she kept searching for it, clinging to the hope that she could get her fix.

Then she spotted it. A door with a sign that read, 'Kitchen' on it. The door wasn't just unlocked; it was ajar. She quickly hurried to it and slipped inside, hoping no one had spotted her.

Then, without warning, a knife flew right past her head. It missed piercing her skin by inches and sunk into its target. The boy from District 1's decapitated head was in the sink. Only he was a watermelon. Someone had carved a perfect replica of his face—it looked exactly like him, except for the fact that his mouth was agape with pointed teeth.

Hera turned to see Hapi. He was smiling, a knife clutched in each hand. "Oh…you've found me." He said lightly, scraping the two knives together. "Good thing no one can hear you scream down here…"

Tears pricked Hera's eyes. Her breaths came in short gasps as she began to hyperventilate. Hapi merely chuckled, twirling one of the knives in his hand.

"It was a joke." Hapi told her, looking amused.

"That wasn't funny!" She choked out. She had seriously believed that he was going to murder her.

Hapi lowered the knives. "I'm sorry," He told her, sounding sincere, "That was insensitive of me."

Hera swallowed back her tears and nodded mutely. Suddenly, the phony smile disappeared from Hapi's face. A deep frown set in its place. Hera realized this was the first time in a while she had seen him without his grin. It was then he noticed that he had a few bruises on his face. Most all of the tributes' injuries and cuts had ceased to exist with first-class treatment, but a few still boasted the marks of a fight.

It wasn't hard to guess who Hapi had battled during the riot. He brought his arm back and let another knife fly. It sunk directly into the middle of Saffmelon's head.

Hera dug around in the cupboards for whatever food she could find. She watched him practice with the knives as she bit into a loaf of bread. She chewed each mouthful forcefully, trying to shove chunks down her throat as fast as she could.

"You eat when you're stressed." Hapi commented idly, focusing on his target.

"Yeah, well you…break the rules!" Hera shot back, "You're not supposed to be training right now. Your precious Capitol wouldn't like that."

Hapi snorted. Another knife flew through the air, striking the top of the melon. Out of knives, the redheaded Asian went to pry them out of the fruit's thick green skin. "They're not my precious Capitol." He grunted, working the knives out, "That was just a front for sponsors."

Hera honestly felt surprised. He was quite an actor. "Even that bit about your mother?" She wondered.

Hapi shook his head. "That part was true."

"Oh." Hera said quietly. There was a long pause. Hapi moved back to his starting position and threw the first knife. Of course, it hit the target. "I think…" Hera said slowly, "My parents work at the hospital where your mother is. They're doctors."

"That's nice." Hapi said lightly, but she could tell he was just being polite. She could sense he didn't want to talk about this. He threw another knife…this one actually missed and clattered to the floor. Hapi sighed, frowning and shaking his head. "That's a shame. Would you like to try?" He offered, holding up his last knife.

Just as he did, the door burst open. Security guards took one look at the scene before them and practically tackled Hapi to the ground. Two more came and grabbed Hera.

"Tributes aren't supposed to be down here!" The man who was obviously in charge roared, "This door is supposed to be locked at all times! Find the Avox who is responsible for this and see to it that they are punished. As for the Asian, put him on suicide-homicide watch. We can't have these Games getting more screwed up than they already are!" The man practically flew through the room with a few other guards at his side. That left four of them to rush Hapi and Hera back to their floor.

Just as they were hurried into the elevator, they caught the faint sound of screaming. Hera exchanged a terrified glance with Hapi. They had found the Avox responsible. The guards rushed them back to their rooms. Just before Hera was led into hers, she glanced back to see Hapi standing outside of his with a guard at his side. She could see the other one attaching straps to his bed.

A grin slowly spread across Hapi's face as he was forcefully led into the room.

"See you tomorrow."

**AHHH OMG I AM SO EXCITED TO START THE GAMES ASGJHAJSFHASJDAJH ARE YOU EXCITED CUZ I AM WOOOOOOOOO :O :P :D **


	16. The Bloodbath

**Up to 200 reviews and the Games haven't even started yet! I wonder if we'll make it to 400 by the end of the story...I have everything figured out but I haven't sorted it into chapters so I don't how many there'll be. Although I'm on the fourth chapter in the Games and it's still night 1. By the way, I'll start accepting sponsors after the third chapter in because I don't think anyone would be sponsored very early in the Games. Remember, I'm pretty picky when it comes to sponsoring since the plot is already figured out. **

Finally, the day had arrived.

The morning sluggishly inched by as tributes wondered about their fate. They all tried to shove food down their throats, but the anticipation of the Games drove away hunger. For some of them, it was their last meal. Hera ate until she felt as if her stomach was going to burst.

Finally, it was time to leave the Capitol. Each of them boarded the hovercraft and was buckled in for a long flight to the arena. They watched the Capitol disappear among the rocky landscape as they flew north to their destination. When it was gone for good, most of the tributes closed their eyes and settled in for a nap. Others just sat there quietly. No one spoke.

At one point, an attendant went around, injecting a tracker into each tribute's arm. Bentley stared hopelessly at the blinking device under his skin. Escape was no longer possible now.

The ride dragged on for hours, despite the speed of the flying vehicle. At some point, the windows blackened so that they could no longer see their surroundings. With each passing minute, everyone's anticipation increased. Why was this arena so far away? What was waiting for them when they got there? All of their questions would be answered soon…

Finally, they arrived at their destination. They were lowered into an underground building known as the Launch Room. As the tributes were led away by stylists, some of them bid one another farewell. Then they were taken into separate rooms that contained the chutes leading to the arena.

The stylists provided the tributes with the outfits they would be wearing. Each one was presented with long-sleeved, skintight shirts and pants. It looked as if they were wearing black, full-body jumpsuits. On top of that layer, they were given simple dark pants and a black lightweight, waterproof jacket. Running boots were fitted over soft, wool socks.

Each stylist told his or her tribute that the skintight clothing was designed to regulate body temperature. They should be fine as long as they kept moving. Then a loudspeaker said that it was time for launch. Each tribute entered a chute that would lift them up into the arena. Then they would have 60 seconds to take in the arena. They could scan the Cornucopia and see what it had to offer. If they tried to make an early run for it, landmines would blow them sky-high. Only after the countdown ended and the gong rang were you able to leave your platform.

As they left the dark underground, the tributes had to adjust to the sudden flood of light. They blinked, trying to focus on their new surroundings. The first thing to come into view was the golden sheen of the Cornucopia.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let the 43rd Hunger Games begin!"

The countdown began.

But the tributes were wide-eyed with wonder; amazed at this new setting they had been thrust into. They seemed to be at the bottom of a large crater, smack-dab in the middle of it. A network of high cliffs protruded from the ground on all sides, outlining the clouded sky. But that wasn't the part that caught everyone's attention.

To the west lay a beautiful, snow-covered landscape. The cliffs were covered in a fine layer of ice. Evergreen trees grew in patches. To the east was a rugged landscape, shimmering with heat. Molten magma sluggishly carved lethal rivers through the soft rock. Geysers gushed boiling hot water at random.

Right now, the tributes were in the middle ground, with the Cornucopia. Firm, orange-brown rock was beneath them and a warm breeze dusted their face with sand particles. To the north was an intricate rock formation with pillars and arches of towering stones. To the south, the ground dropped away into a deep pit. This was indeed a cruel twist. Tributes with little supplies would be forced to the middle ground, to avoid burning or freezing to death. But obviously, this was where the Careers would set up camp. This was where the fighting would take place.

This arena was full of danger.

_**25**_

A deep, monotone voice was counting down the seconds they had to live. Tiger-Lilly was trying to stay calm. She had nothing to fear—she had many allies, some real and some fake. She glanced to her right and took note of the rock formation. That would be the perfect place to hide weapons…if she made it out of this alive.

_**24**_

Emmett scanned the circle of tributes, trying to locate Beatriss. She was further down the line, separated from him by about six tributes. He tried to catch her eye. He wanted her to know that he was on her side. He wouldn't hurt her. But he could see her looking around frantically, trying decide on what to do.

_**23**_

Dominic felt weak in the knees, as if he might faint. He was very aware that both his legs and his arms were shaking. He whipped his head around, looking for his fellow Careers. Saffron and Zane were at an equal distance away, but three tributes separated him from them on both sides. _I don't think I can do this! _He wailed inwardly.

_**22**_

Focusing hard, Seth readied himself to sprint for the Cornucopia. Inside he would find the most powerful weapons, including his scythe. He would get in and out, faster than any of the other tributes. He was going to show the Capitol what being a speed demon was all about.

_**21**_

Beatriss felt as if she were going to have another breakdown and just start screaming uncontrollably. It was so tempting and so _frustrating _to see all of those supplies piled high at the mouth of the Cornucopia. They meant the difference between life and death. But she just couldn't force herself to run in to grab something. So she looked back and forth between the two sides, wondering which one to escape to.

_**20**_

Hera was trying to keep from throwing up her breakfast. She kept reminding herself that there were mines at her feet. If she lost control, she would suffer an early death. She pressed her hands to her mouth, pushing away the urge to have a panic attack. Hoping that no one would pursue her, she prepared to escape to the closer of the two sides—the ice side.

_**19**_

Jarek was up on his toes, desperately trying to seek Kalin out. He was wondering whether he should run in and grab a weapon or not. But he was terrified, and uncertain he could make it out of there fast enough. _Oh well… _He thought, dropping into a crouch, _Kalin's going in and so will I!_

_**18**_

It was almost time to go. Angela stood tall, trying to remain fearless. At the same time, she felt like collapsing on the spot and wailing about how she was going to die. Ravish was two spots over from her and she knew the Career was out for blood. She would be coming after her, no doubt about that. But Angela maintained her composure, deciding that she would just have to make a run for it.

_**17**_

Adrenaline was quivering with excitement. She couldn't wait to get into the Cornucopia and grab her saw. She looked all around her, trying to decide whom she would kill first. Kelsea was to her right, so obviously not her. But the chubby girl was to her left. A cruel smirk curled across Adrenaline's face. _I'll chop you up like a fat pig! _She thought, leering at Hera.

_**16**_

Ember was readying herself to make a run for her axe. She would make sure to grab a backpack on the way out too. Then she could find Hera and mooch off of the supplies she managed to grab. _Or I could just kill her and take what she has anyways… _Ember considered, _maybe I should have thought this plan through more._

_**15**_

Luke forced himself to stay calm and collected, trying to get loosened up in the last few seconds he had. He looked around him and could spot a few of his allies. Scarlet, Galloway, Kalin, and Amara weren't too far off. Confidence suddenly filled him up inside. With this unstoppable alliance, he could win the Games.

_**14**_

Ravish had been placed between the boyish 14-year old and the large Russian boy from District 7. His presence made her nervous as she remembered the way he had snapped in the training center. His strong hands looked capable of breaking necks. _But I'll bet anything I'm faster… _She thought, looking towards the Cornucopia, _I just need to get there before anyone else does._

_**13**_

Bentley turned and looked behind him, gazing at the snow-covered landscape. It reminded him of District 12 during the winter. He could feel it beckoning to him. That was where he needed to go.

_**12**_

Scarlet was relieved to see she had been placed next to Kalin. But to her left stood Kelsea and Adrenaline, and to Kalin's right stood Saffron. She was just about surrounded by Careers. Scarlet started shaking uncontrollably. Even with Kalin at her side, she couldn't hope to take them on.

_**11**_

Baye desperately hoped that she could get to her bow and arrows before anyone else did. She scanned her nearest competitors and none of them seemed too threatening. Most of them were looking between the two sides, as if they were trying to decide on which one to run to. _Everything's going to be okay, _Baye told herself, _I am a Career!_

_**10**_

Zane was staring hard inside the mouth of the Cornucopia. He thought he caught a glint of his sword. He tensed every muscle in his body, ready to run. Only ten more seconds to go…then he would unleash his fury on any poor tribute that got in his way.

_**9**_

Ivan just stood on his platform, gazing morosely at all of the children that were preparing to either run or kill one another. _What a terrible existence this is, _He reflected, thinking of all the abuse he had endured in his life. The pain was unbearable. Now, he was going to take up an axe and cause others pain. _I hate my life._

_**8**_

_Mongrels. Mongrels everywhere. _Saffron thought in disgust, scanning the lines for his allies. The closest one was Kelsea. Not that it mattered—he could handle things himself. He dropped into a light crouch, focusing every sense on getting to the Cornucopia in order to retrieve his weapon.

_**7**_

Amara knew she was fast. She knew she had the alliance to back her up. But now that she was here, in the arena, she was overwhelmed with fear. She couldn't bring herself to run in. She glanced behind her, at the fire side. The lava scared her. She looked back at the ice side. For some reason, an image of Kalin holding the ice cube popped into her mind. So she decided to make the long arc around the platforms in order to get to the other side.

_**6**_

For once, Kelsea wasn't bored by what was going on around her. Her eyes were alight with excitement and she quivered with anticipation. Only a few more seconds and the Hunger Games would begin. Then she would be one step closer to getting home and seeing Gillbert again. One step closer to being free.

_**5**_

Hapi looked at the Cornucopia, piled high with treasures. In the next minute, the smooth orange stone under his feet would be spattered with blood and children would be fighting over the supplies. Knowing it wasn't worth the risk, he chose to run to the fire side. There, he would bide his time, knowing that he would find an opportunity to reclaim his weapon sooner or later.

_**4**_

_Oh my God. This is really happening. I wonder if Journey's watching? Will they let her get off school to watch her boyfriend compete in the Games? Maybe for the start of it, but everyone's gotta get back to work eventu…focus Roam! You're in the Hunger Games! Let's see. I think I'm just going to run for it. Tiger-Lilly will get a weapon for me later. Should I go to the fire or the ice side? I don't like being cold. I can't think when I'm shivering and it makes me stutter worse. Fire it is! It would be so cool to roast a marshmallow in the lava. Oh gosh! Three seconds to go! This is really happening!_

_**3**_

Kalin took a deep breath and let it out. He was next to a Career. A few others were in the vicinity. They needed a distraction, and fast. Looking past Saffron, he caught Galloway's eye. She looked so afraid. Her expression was panicked, as if asking him what to do. Slowly, he nodded.

_**2**_

Galloway was wondering what to do when she caught Kalin's eye. _We're surrounded by Careers. _She thought, as if she could somehow convey this message to him, _What can we do? Is there any way we can hinder them from getting to the Cornucopia? _As if in answer to her question, Kalin nodded. Determination flooded into every fiber of Galloway's being. _Okay. I know what to do._

_**1**_

The gong sounded. The tributes were off of their platforms in a flash, running in all directions.

Galloway sprang towards Saffron. He was sprinting towards the Cornucopia, but she caught him from behind and tackled him to the ground. He started yelling and writhing hysterically, trying to throw her off. But Galloway hung on for dear life, fixing her arms around his chest.

"GET THIS FERAL OFF OF ME!" Saffron shrieked.

Galloway could see Kelsea swerving towards her, but Adrenaline kept running. _There, _She thought, catching sight of Kalin and Luke running side by side, away from her. _I got two Careers off your back. _

Galloway started to clamber to her feet and make a break for it as Kelsea approached. But Kelsea was fast. Galloway barely had time to turn when the Career plowed into her, bowling her over. The poor girl struggled to get away, scraping uselessly at the hard ground.

"You're welcome." Kelsea growled.

Confusion filled Galloway's mind, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Saffron had restarted his flight to the Cornucopia. Then, cold, merciless hands gripped her throat.

As she ran in a wide arc around the Cornucopia, trying to get to the ice side, Amara spotted Galloway pinned to the ground by a Career. She could see the girl was slowly strangling her ally. Sorrow welled up from within her. _I'm so sorry, Galloway. _She thought, not slowing her pace, _Rest in peace._

Bentley, Angela, and Scarlet also made a beeline for the ice side while Hapi, Beatriss, and Roam sprinted towards the lava. They didn't even risk going in to grab something small on the outskirts of the Cornucopia.

Kalin and Luke had benefited greatly from Galloway's sacrifice. Both flew into the Cornucopia to discover Seth, already armed with his weapon. A second later, three Careers came flying in—Ravish, Zane, and Adrenaline. Kalin and Luke hurriedly clambered to grab their weapons. Luke daringly picked up a backpack. Kalin then exchanged a wordless glance with him and both darted out of the Cornucopia.

Seth gave a great swing of his scythe, blocking Ravish from getting to the wall of swords. She leaped backwards, glowering at him. He went to swing again, but this time she dodged around him and lunged for her weapon. Zane already had his in hand and was coming for him. With the odds now against him, Seth shot out of the Cornucopia after Kalin.

On their way out, Kalin and Luke had encountered Baye coming for her weapon. Kalin and Seth sprinted past her without a second glance, heading for the ice side. They ran into Jarek, who had managed to steal away with a small backpack that had been on the outskirts of the stockpile. The three of them left together, veering towards the ice side.

But Luke wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to kill a defenseless Career. He ran straight for her and plunged his sword deep into her stomach. Her face twisted with pain and an unearthly scream sounded from her throat.

Luke happened to glance behind him and saw Zane barreling towards him, broadsword in hand. Luke turned and ran, Zane hot on his heels.

Acknowledging that she was partially insane to be doing such a thing, Hera made a last-second decision to run in and grab a small backpack halfway between her platform and the Cornucopia. Just as she slung it around her shoulder, she looked up to see Adrenaline tearing towards her. Her mouth was wide open with maniacal laughter and a saw was held high above her head.

With a thrill of fear, Hera turned and ran for her life. But she knew she couldn't hope to outrun a trained Career. This was the end for her.

But then here came Ravish. She caught up to Adrenaline and grabbed her arm, shouting, "No! We'll catch up with Chubs later!" She pointed her rapier at Ivan, who had just gotten ahold of an axe and was exiting the mouth of the Cornucopia. "He's the one we want!"

So the two turned and descended upon the hulking tribute like a pair of lionesses. They hadn't forgotten his score of 8, nor the way he had attacked one of their own. They would be glad to be rid of him. But he wasn't going down without a fight.

Ivan fixed both hands on the handle of his axe and gave a mighty swing. Adrenaline leaped to the side and Ravish ducked. Just as she did, Ivan felt a sharp pain dig into his stomach. He swung the axe again, but Ravish pulled back. He could see his blood shining on the edge of her sword.

Ravish went to take another jab at him. This time, Ivan blocked it—but then a searing pain lanced up his back. Adrenaline was hacking away at his skin, shredding it. Ivan turned, raising the axe, going to bring it down on Adrenaline's head.

Then Ravish's rapier cut straight through his chest, piercing his heart. He slumped to the ground, lifeless.

Saffron, after getting away from Galloway, had managed to acquire his katana. He had gotten there at the same time as Emmett, who had been slow to start in his desperation to see Beatriss off. But he had still managed to snatch up a backpack and his own sword.

Saffron sprang towards Emmett. They clashed swords at the mouth of the Cornucopia. Emmett struggled to block a blow from his opponent, but he could tell that he was outmatched. He stumbled a few steps backwards, trying to hold him off. Then he spotted Ravish and Adrenaline coming away from a kill, and Kelsea running towards the Cornucopia. He could not hope to fight—he had to escape.

Before he could, Saffron slashed his sword at him with great ferocity. It cut through his two layers of clothing and made a neat gash on his arm. Emmett turned and made a swift retreat. Saffron began to pursue him, decided against it, and came back to the Cornucopia to seek out a different victim.

But almost everyone had gone. Kelsea emerged from the Cornucopia with a brown belt that contained her stiletto and throwing stars. She took in the deserted area and let out a frustrated sigh. Ravish and Adrenaline came over, wide-eyed with surprise. Dominic was walking over too. He had been cowering on his platform the entire time, but no one had taken any notice. Now he had deemed it safe to go in for his bow. He was pleased to see that no one had snatched it up. He grabbed it and, stepping around a large pile of backpacks, walked out to find the Careers standing in a disgruntled circle.

"Where's Zane?" Ravish wondered.

Collectively, they spotted him in the distance, making his way over a pile of rocks to get to them. He was shining with sweat. The spotless sword at his side betrayed that he had been unsuccessful. The Careers stood there quietly, waiting for him.

Suddenly, something exploded out of the pile of backpacks inside the Cornucopia. It came shooting out and sprinted right past the astounded Careers. They all began running, trying to catch up.

"GET HER, ZANE!" Ravish shrieked as Ember went rocketing in his general direction. He brought his sword up, ready to intercept her. But it was Adrenaline, who had a sudden burst of adrenaline, that got to her first. She brought her saw smashing into the side of the Ember's head, knocking her clean off her feet. She was upon her instantly, sawing at her throat, squealing with glee.

"Adrenaline, knock it off!" Zane shouted, standing over her, "She's dead!"

Adrenaline ignored him, sawing until Ember's head had parted with her body. Zane reached down and pulled her onto her feet.

He was about to reprimand her, but after spending a week with Adrenaline, he knew the right way to deal with her. "We don't have time to play with dead bodies. We have to head right out and start hunting before the others get too far."

Adrenaline perked up at this and gladly accompanied him back to the Cornucopia. The rest of the Careers were standing together, looking rather annoyed that the Bloodbath had not lasted longer.

"Where's Baye?" Zane asked.

"…Who's Baye?" Kelsea replied.

Zane looked at each of his teammates. They were all perking up as if realizing, 'Oh yeah, there was another person in our alliance!' Without a word, Zane circled around to the other side of the Cornucopia. There was Baye, crumpled lifelessly on the ground. Her eyes were wide and glazed. Blood was pooled around her stomach.

"What happened?" Ravish wondered from behind him.

"The boy from District 5 got her. I tried to chase him down, but obviously, I wasn't very successful…" He sighed, "I guess we're down one."

"Look!" Adrenaline hissed suddenly, "It's Tiger-Lilly."

She had appeared from the rock formation and was slowly making her way towards them. Adrenaline gave a wriggle of glee. "Can I kill her?"

"Wait!" Saffron said in a low voice, "We're down one. Maybe we should consider keeping her."

"She can guard the camp." Dominic pointed out helpfully.

"No," Ravish said firmly, "Since you're good with a bow and arrow, you should guard the camp. You can pick people off from a distance."

"Um…!" Dominic's voice rose in pitch, "Actually, I was hoping I could help hunt people down." _And I don't want to be here all alone. _He added silently. He couldn't bear the thought of being so vulnerable out in the open.

"Let him come." Kelsea said flatly. Dominic cast her a grateful glance, but she ignored him. "Besides, what's-her-name has knives and those are long-ranged too."

"Hmm…she _could_ prove useful as camp guard…" Saffron considered.

Ravish glared at the rest of her alliance, frustrated that no one was backing her up. Tiger-Lilly was nearly upon them and Adrenaline was raising her saw. They had to make a decision, fast.

"What did I miss?" Tiger-Lilly asked, her eyes wide and curious.

"A lot, actually!" Ravish snarled, placing her hands on her hips, "Just where were you?"

Tiger-Lilly lowered her eyes, looking slightly ashamed. "I'm sorry. I tried to run in, but one of the bigger tributes started chasing me so I had to get away," She lied. The truth was, she had escaped the Bloodbath and hidden in the rock pile. She hadn't wanted to take any chances.

Ravish opened her mouth to say something, but the disconcerting sound of the cannon cut her off. The Careers fell silent, listening to each boom that announced a kill. It sounded a total of four times…then it stopped.

"_Four kills?_" Ravish squeaked, looking absolutely petrified, "Please tell me we got more than that! We…we didn't _really _get only four kills, did we?"

"No, we didn't. We got three." Zane said bluntly.

"What were you all _doing_?" Ravish demanded, flaring up at the rest of her alliance.

Kelsea narrowed her eyes. "Don't look at _me_. Prince Charming over here got tackled to the ground by some girl and I offed her. Meanwhile, he proceeded to be absolutely useless."

"False!" Saffron cried out, "It was a very scarring experience, being assaulted by that feral! I could not hope to fight without my sword. Afterwards, I sparred with some nameless mongrel. _He _is the one who is useless!" The aristocrat pointed an accusing finger at Dominic.

Before Dominic could defend himself, Zane shouted, "Everyone, SHUT UP! The Bloodbath isn't over yet! We can stay here and argue the rest of the day or we can get out there and rack up some more kills while they're still in the area."

No one objected.

"You're right," Ravish said, all business, "Let's divide up into teams. Half go to the fire side, half go to the ice side."

"Excellent," Saffron said briskly, "I'll take Ronan and Cutthroat with me to the ice side."

Ravish opened her mouth to protest, not wanting to be left with the psycho and the wimp, but Kelsea interjected, "No way, I'm not going to freeze my butt off over there. I'm going to the fire side with Radish."

"Ravish!" Ravish said hotly.

"That's what I said."

"I'll go with you, Saffron!" Adrenaline said eagerly, batting her eyelashes.

"Tiger-Lilly, you're on guard," Ravish said quickly, "Let's move out!"

"YEAH! Let's do this!" Zane roared, pumping his fists, "LET'S SMASH SOME HEADS!"

"WOOOOOOOOO!" Adrenaline shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Saffron just face palmed.

Tiger-Lilly watched as the two groups went off in opposite directions, praying that none of her allies would fall victim to the bloodthirsty Careers.

**RIP Galloway, Baye, Ivan, and Ember. Sorry you all had to take the fall so soon, but someone's got to die in the Bloodbath. LULZ just realized that ¾ of the peeps who submitted these characters never review…that totally wasn't on purpose. **

**This time around, I've decided I'm gonna say something in honor of each tribute when they die. This will either be a cool fact from their profile, a reflection on how much I appreciated them, or something random/humorous.**

**Galloway: Although her profile was the least detailed one I received, I still hope her sacrifice made her more memorable. Her will to shoot cows and herd coyotes will not be forgotten. **

**Baye: Had Baye survived the Bloodbath, she would have gone on to pull a Sienna and murder the Careers. Unfortunately, that's been done. And I freakin' love the Careers. At least Savannah can go on to live a happy life because of her. **

**Ivan: Sorry you had to lead such a sucky life, but at least you won't suffer at the hands of your father anymore. Da Svidanya, Ivan.**

**Ember: Ah, the very last tribute that was added to the list. A shame you won't be able to go on with that plan of yours, but thank you for the laughs you warranted, including the time where I had you sort-of quote Seinfeld.**

**I realize there were some gory deaths in this Bloodbath despite the lack of, well, dying…well, there are more to come. This is a very violent Hunger Games indeed.**


	17. The Most Dangerous Game

**Early update because it's the weekend and you guys are awesome! :o  
**

**BTW xXjaziXx, the creator of Beatriss, says she needs someone to submit a D7 male tribute to her story! Just so you know. :) Get on that.**

As soon as the two teams of Careers had disappeared, Tiger-Lilly quickly entered the Cornucopia to grab weapons. The sword section had been picked clean, but there were a few, deadly looking knives that remained. She grabbed a backpack and stuffed three knives into it. The scythe was missing, so she assumed Seth had taken it. There were no bows, but she found a cluster of three javelins just outside the Cornucopia. She grabbed those too.

She decided that she couldn't afford to remove too many weapons for fear of the Careers noticing. So she filled the backpack with food and water, put the three knives at the bottom, and headed for the rock formation. That was the best place to hide her teammates' supplies. Plus, while she was there, the Capitol could remove the dead bodies.

But as soon as she had disappeared among the maze of rocks, a tribute came sprinting from the direction of the ice side. Bentley had been hiding nearby, waiting for a chance to duck in and grab something. He had remembered the Careers going on a hunt right away, last year—that was when Carson had died—so he had hung around to steal supplies. It was pure luck that the guard had randomly decided to up and leave.

He could sense the hovercraft's presence above the arena, but he kept running. He skidded to a halt by Ivan, who still clutched the axe in his hand. Bentley quickly tried to pry the boy's cold fingers off of the handle, but it was no easy task. He saw the claw lower out of the corner of his eye and carry away a female tribute. He glanced up to check for the guard, but she was still nowhere to be found. This was a great opportunity. He would _not _allow it to escape him.

Giving a great heave, he tore the axe out of Ivan's hands. The momentum sent him stumbling back a few steps and he fell over. But he was instantly on his feet, scanning the area. Still no sign of anyone else. Next, he darted forward, snatching up one of the backpacks at the mouth of the Cornucopia. He didn't have time to search it and just ran off, back in the direction of the ice side.

Moments later, Tiger-Lilly emerged from the rock maze and spotted Bentley running from the Cornucopia, axe in hand. She didn't bother chasing him and watched him disappear among snow-covered rocks. Then she headed back to the Cornucopia and started sorting through the supplies. She put together a backpack for herself, in case she would have to escape. She crammed it full of food, water, and stuck in a medicine kit. Over top those, she stuck in a small pillow. She also snatched up a vest that contained throwing knives and secured it on her person. Now she was ready for anything.

Little did she know, Bentley hadn't been the only one who was watching her. Angela had circled around and hidden herself in the rock formation. She had seen Tiger-Lilly hide the backpack in a crevice. As soon as she was gone, she had snuck down and opened it up. She stole one of the knives, one with a cruel, curved blade. Normally, she would have been happy to take everything and sabotage her enemies, but she actually wanted to see if this alliance was capable of taking the Careers down. So she dumped out half the food and one of the canisters. She took the rest for herself, pleased that she had scored both a weapon and some supplies so easily.

She squeezed back into her hiding place, nibbling on an apple. She knew she couldn't stick around for long. The Careers would be back soon, and who knew when the other alliance would show up. It would be an interesting show, but she would be long gone by the time it came to pass.

* * *

Meanwhile, Roam was wandering along a dangerous, thermal area on the fire side. The ground appeared to be smoking in various spots, but he made sure to stay clear. He kept telling himself that he needed to go find the others in his alliance. He had a job to do. But his mind was swimming with other thoughts, forcing him to keep walking aimlessly and exploring the arena.

At one point, he came across a bubbling spring. It was the most beautiful shade of blue, but the earth had a yellow tint around the edges. The smell of sulfur reached his nose. Steam rose from the pool, causing the air to shimmer above. Every so often, a tiny geyser would bubble up from the center. Roam watched for a long time, entranced.

_Wow. This place is unlike anything I've ever seen. I wish I could take a dip in the water, but it'd probably burn my skin right off. Speaking of which, will I catch on fire if I go near the lava? Hm. It wouldn't be very fun to see everyone burning to death. Actually, that might be kinda funny, so long as you're not the one on fire. Everyone would be like, "Stop, drop, and roll!" I wonder why rolling puts out fires? I like rolling down hills. That was fun, as a kid. I wish I could be a kid again. I could really go for some of that dessert the Capitol had. What was it called? Ice cream?_

Suddenly, something drove him to tear his gaze away from the hot springs and look back the way he had come. That's when he saw them. Three Careers were treading carefully across the unstable ground, coming straight for him. As soon as they realized that he had caught sight of them, they broke out in a sprint. Terrified, Roam turned and ran for his life. He could hear the pounding feet of the Careers behind him.

In that moment, his condition seemed to fall away. Every instinct was focused on escaping the Careers. All that mattered was surviving. A geyser exploded from the ground, a mere ten yards in front of him. He barely avoided being sprayed with scalding water, and ran in a wide arc around it. An arrow flew past him, and he realized one of them was firing at him with a bow. He fought for breath, but the air here felt thick and hot. Sweat ran from every pore. He allowed himself to glance back. He could see the Careers had slowed slightly, the unstable ground having made them nervous. The boy was scrambling to aim another arrow. _I just might be able to get away! _Roam thought, determination flaring from within him.

But as if condemning his hopeful thoughts, a lava flow suddenly appeared in front of him. He skidded to a halt, catching himself. His heart accelerated as he realized that he had nearly just plunged face-first into an excruciating death. His head whipped around as he searched for a way past it. The gap was too far to leap. He could see a shield volcano in the distance, where the lava was coming from. But a number of jagged cliffs were separating him from it. Panicking, Roam turned and started to run back the way he had come, but he ran straight into the Careers.

They caught him and knocked him to the ground. Ravish leaped on top of him and stood there, pointing her rapier at his throat. Roam lay there, stunned, his breath coming in fast gasps. He could feel the tip of her sword pressing into his neck. With a sharp stab of pain, it drew blood.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Ravish cooed in a sickeningly sweet voice, "A nameless tribute that had the misfortune of coming across the Careers so early in the Games…"

Roam didn't say anything. He just laid there, limp with defeat. Terror had him paralyzed in its cold, viselike grip. His heart felt as if it were going to burst from his chest.

"Just get it over with." Kelsea said in a bored voice.

"In a minute, Kelsea." Ravish growled. With a flick of her wrist, she carved a neat red gash on Roam's face. He cried out at the harsh sting. "I want to know if he has any last words."

Roam's throat closed with sorrow. _So this is truly it. _His mind drifted back to his home. His two loving parents. His brothers. Journey, and the anniversary they would never share…life really did flash before your eyes when you were about to die.

"Come on, don't you want to put on a good show for the Capitol?" Ravish's voice broke into his thoughts, "Go on…"

Suddenly, Roam saw himself back in that cold, dark room, talking to Journey one last time. _You're the love of my life, Journey. Never forget that. But one day, you'll have to let me go. Just try not to feel too bad about it when you do._

"J-Journey…" Roam whispered.

Ravish leaned closer, shoving her sword into his throat once more. "What's that? You're going to have to speak up."

"JOURNEY!" He roared. With a great heave, he threw Ravish off of him and rose to his feet. He shot right past Kelsea and Dominic. But Kelsea was ready.

She lobbed one of her throwing stars at his retreating figure. It hit with a deadly precision, sinking into the back of Roam's neck. He pitched forward and hit the ground hard. Kelsea walked up to him, flicking out her stiletto. Without any hesitation, she stabbed it into his back, piercing his heart. A cannon fired, and she removed her weapons from his corpse.

"That was my kill." Ravish said, coming up from behind her.

Kelsea straightened up, wiping the blood off on her skintight pants. "Sorry, Cupcake. You took too long."

She glanced at the other two. Ravish's eyes were narrowed dangerously. Dominic looked terrified, staring wide-eyed at Roam's bloody body. Kelsea sighed inwardly.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with your food?" Kelsea said lightly.

Ravish scowled. "I was just giving the Capitol a good show."

Before Kelsea could retort, Dominic said pleadingly, "Can we please get out of here?" He looked around nervously, as if expecting the ground to cave in beneath them.

The two girls nodded, putting their argument behind them. Then they moved off in search of their next victim. As they went, Ravish said, "I wonder how the other three are faring…"

* * *

After spending a few hours seeking shelter on the fire side, Hapi's throat was parched. He desperately needed water, and what the hot springs had to offer was far from edible. He knew that he would have to venture over to the ice side.

He gave the Cornucopia a wide berth, embarking east on one of the cliff paths. He could see a small girl standing guard from afar. She wore a black vest. Hapi recognized that vest from past Games. It contained his knives. But he knew going in there was too risky, so he continued on with his quest for water.

The cold air felt nice on his lungs, after staying in the cover of smoke for the past few hours. But he actually didn't mind the smoke so much—it reminded him a lot of the factories in District 8. And even though it was tough on his lungs, he was able to stand it.

As he ventured further into the depths of the ice side, snow began to crunch under his feet. It seemed to grow a bit deeper with every step. At some point, he stopped to rest, gathering the snow in his bare hands. Ignoring the cold stinging sensation, he piled it into his mouth and relished its transformation into water. The cool liquid seeped down his throat, curing it of its dryness. For a long while he remained there, drinking his fill. But then the snow started to soak through his pants and he grew cold. He remembered how the stylists had told them keep moving and rose to his feet, ready to head back to the fire side.

Just as he did so, a loud shriek pierced the air. "Up there!"

Hapi immediately threw himself back to the ground, flattening his body. He had recognized the voice. It belonged to the crazy female Career from District 2. The one who couldn't seem to put down the saw during training.

"Let's get her!"

_Her? _Hapi inched along the ground, peering as far as he dared over the edge of the cliff. Below him, he spotted Hera. She was racing alongside the cliff. She looked extremely frightened. Below her, on ground zero, were three Careers. Adrenaline, Zane, and the filthy aristocrat that had taken away Hapi's opportunity to play the piano. Oh, how he would have loved to sink a knife into that scowling face. But he had no knives. So he remained concealed, watching the unfolding events.

"COME ON!" Adrenaline bellowed, running alongside the cliff that Hera was on. Zane was right behind her, plowing through the snow as if it weren't even there. "Let's slice this fat pig up!"

"Wait!" Saffron shouted after them, "We must to set up an ambush! Not—arrgh!" Giving in, he raced to catch up with his companions.

Hera was not faster than them. If they had been on level ground, they would have caught up and killed her easily. But with a steep cliff separating them, the best they could do was run alongside her. Adrenaline whooped and taunted Hera the entire time, striking fear into her heart. Her lungs burned with effort as they herded her further and further along the cliff. The air grew warmer as they approached the temperate zone.

Saffron slowed to a halt and began picking his way up the side of the cliff, mumbling, "Fools…" as he went. But they went on without him, quickly disappearing from sight. Adrenaline and Zane refused to take their eyes off Hera, but they suddenly became tripped up when they reached the rock formation that was clustered at the bottom of the cliff. Hera ran on ahead as they tried to work their way through.

"Come on!" Zane yelled, "Let's try to climb up here."

Using the rocks to boost themselves up, they scrambled up the side of the cliff, 20 feet straight up. Luckily, there were numerous footholds hidden within the folds of the cliff. But when they arrived at the top, they had lost sight of Hera. They started to sprint in the direction she had disappeared to, but after a minute, there was no sign of her. They slowed their pace, fatigue taking over now that they had lost sight of their prey. The thrill of the chase was over.

Saffron came jogging up, his chest heaving. "Next…time…!" He panted, "Next time, we will be doing it _my _way. We cannot just chase them like some foolish hound pursuing a bird on the wing!"

Zane muttered an apology. Adrenaline just rolled her eyes.

* * *

Hera ran until she no longer could stand to. Then she found a small overhang to hide in, barely two feet above the ground. She crawled under it and collapsed. She just lay there, sweating ferociously, and not just because she had reached the fire side. She had never run so fast in her life. That had been more terrifying than anything she had ever experienced, including the Bloodbath. Thank goodness she had been a cliff above them!

Suddenly, movement caught Hera's eye. She could see boots shuffling by, going back the way she had come. She tried to keep still, but she couldn't slow her heavy, rattled breathing. The boots stopped right in front of her. She slapped a hand over her mouth, trembling with fear.

The unknown tribute squatted down and peered in at her with curious brown eyes. Tangled black hair clung to her skin, shining with sweat. Hera just stared back at the girl, paralyzed, feeling very much like a cornered animal. Her mind was so clouded with panic that she couldn't seem to recall who this tribute was.

But the tribute rose back to her feet and continued on her way. Hera let out a shaky sigh of relief as the boots left her line of vision. Then, she cried out in a hoarse voice, "Wait! The Careers are that way!"

There was no response. For a second, she thought the girl had already gone on. But then she heard a soft voice saying, "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

With Hera's advice, Beatriss changed her course of direction. She didn't trust the girl any farther than she could throw her, but she wasn't about to take that chance. Running into a pack of Careers could mean certain death. So she climbed down to a lower path and continued her quest from there. She had spent the past few hours exploring the fire side of the arena, always keeping a vigilant eye out for Emmett. But now she was feeling terribly thirsty and hungry. She would need supplies very soon—and a weapon to defend herself.

After that kiss, there was no way Emmett could turn her down as an ally. _Hopefully he managed to snatch something from the Cornucopia. _She thought, casting a wary glance in the direction of the giant horn. It shone gold among the dusty orange rock of the arena. She could see a few human silhouettes approaching it. The Careers. But not all of them. Perhaps they were stopping in for a water break...

She hurried on to the ice side, staying well out of sight. When she got very far in, she immersed herself in one of the sparse pine forests, trudging through the snow. She clutched at herself, shivering as a cold breeze shook her to the bones. Her light jacket seemed to offer no protection whatsoever.

Feeling vulnerable on the ground, Beatriss decided to try her hand at climbing a tree. Thankfully, these types of trees were very simple to climb, with many branches bunched together. It was like climbing a ladder. And she was well-hidden among the thick pine needles. She found a sturdy limb and made herself comfortable, licking the sap off her frozen fingers.

Suddenly, she stiffened up. She could hear snow crunching beneath heavy footfalls. The fact that she had forgotten to cover her footprints hit her like a bolt of lightning. She forced herself to stay calm and remain in her hiding place. Her mind raced to form some sort of plan.

The unknown tribute was drawing closer. They were almost under her…

Beatriss crouched on the limb like a cat, preparing to spring down on top of them. It was risky, but she had to do _something_.

She tensed every muscle in her body as her mysterious opponent stopped right at the base of the tree. They wore a brown parka with a fuzzy hood. She couldn't see their face. Just as she was about to throw herself down on top of them, she heard a muffled voice say, "Beatriss?"

"Emmett!" She whispered, feeling relieved. She slithered down the trunk to join him on the ground.

"I was so worried!" He said in a hushed voice, looking around cautiously.

"You managed to get supplies?" Beatriss said, her eyes lighting up with hope. He had on gloves and a backpack. A shining sword was held at his side too.

"Yeah. You hungry?"

"Starving."

Emmett began to take off his pack. "I got a pretty good pack for this side," Emmett talked as he went, "Came with a parka and gloves—no matches, though. That's a shame."

Suddenly, he seemed to realize that his ally wasn't wearing a jacket. Her hair was whipping around her in the wind and her teeth were chattering violently. The exposed skin on her hands was turning red.

Emmett frowned. "Oh, gosh! Here…" He started to remove his parka, but Beatriss shook her head angrily.

"Keep it on. Let's go back to the fire side instead."

"But…" Emmett started to protest, having already pointed out that he had the ideal clothing to deal with this climate. But one look at Beatriss's wide, pleading eyes shut down any conviction he had. "Okay," He gave in, "We'll go to the fire side."

* * *

"So Kalin! Spill. Did you have a tipoff about the arena?"

Kalin gave Jarek a questioning look. "Huh?"

"Y'know…the ice cube?" Jarek gave him a knowing wink. Kalin looked at both of his companions in turn. Jarek lifted his eyebrows, expecting a response. Seth was staring at him with his usual expression—emotionless, scrutinizing eyes and his mouth in a thin line.

"Mhmm…I'm very confused right now." Kalin frowned.

Jarek sighed and slapped his forehead in exasperation. "You were telling everyone to meet you on the ice side of the arena when you picked up that ice cube!"

Kalin blinked in surprise for a moment. Then he burst out laughing. "Wow, you're _really _overanalyzing, Jarek. I was buzzed, and desperate to sidetrack the Careers. That ice cube didn't mean anything."

"Oh." Jarek looked slightly disappointed.

"As I surmised." Seth said simply. "Honestly, how would Kalin possess this knowledge?"

Jarek shrugged. "I thought it was cool."

The trio had settled down between a deep snow bank and a cliff. It was the best shelter they could find. They were currently snacking on some dried beef.

"Can we build a fire?" Jarek wondered, ripping away at his food with his teeth. His small backpack had come with food, water, and matches.

"As much as I would love that, I don't want to give away our position." Kalin said. He was shivering violently. They had been sitting down for too long. "Come on, let's keep moving. We should be trying to find the rest of our alliance."

As they stood up, Jarek turned to grab the backpack he had sat in the snow behind him. But it was no longer there. "We've been robbed!" He yelped.

Seth silenced him and told him, "You must have misplaced it."

"No, no, it was right here!" Jarek protested.

Kalin peered closely at the snow. "Oh. She's good." He mumbled. That was when they spotted the tiny footprints in the snow. Angela had managed to sneak up on them while they were foolishly conversing. Thank goodness she hadn't been a deadlier tribute, out for the kill. "Well, don't worry about it. This time tomorrow we'll have all the supplies we need, and more." _Hopefully. _Kalin added silently.

The three of them meandered along the cliff, keeping their eyes peeled for other tributes. It was a big arena—they weren't extremely hopeful that they would find anyone. But it was Seth's keen eyes that spotted one of their allies. "Scarlet." He said simply, pointing at a lower cliff, about ten feet up. He could recognize that blonde head from anywhere.

She was walking away from them. "It's dangerous to call out…" Kalin began.

That didn't stop Jarek. "Hey Scarlet!" He shouted.

Both Kalin and Seth grabbed him at the same time, in an effort to shut him up. Scarlet turned around and came running back, looking extremely relieved to see them. "Thank goodness!" She said breathlessly. "I thought I might find you here, after you tipped us off with that ice cube!"

Kalin rolled his eyes. "Hurry up and get down here." He said in a low voice, "I want to get out of here in case anyone heard that."

"I do not perceive any Careers within the immediate area." Seth surmised. "And any other tribute would be intimidated by the four of us."

"Let's not take that chance. Come on, Scar." Kalin motioned for her to come down.

"Um…but it's so steep…" She said uncertainly, looking down the cliff at her companions, "It's like a straight jump down…"

"I'll catch you." Kalin promised.

"I am also capable of catching you." Seth added, slightly irritable.

Scarlet gave a small squeak of consent. Then she squeezed her eyes shut and silently launched herself over the edge. Kalin and Seth went to catch her and ran right into one another. She crashed down on top of them and the three of them landed in a heap on the snow. "Ow…" Scarlet whimpered, from atop the other two. She leaped up, looking concerned. "I'm sorry you guys! Was I too heavy?"

Jarek was giggling at the sight of them groaning on the ground. Scarlet bit her lip, her eyes wide and upset.

"It's fine," Kalin growled, struggling back to his feet and brushing snow off his clothes, "Let's get out of here."

They left the area quickly, planning to seek out the rest of their alliance. But the rest of their search was in vain. The clouds above darkened as the sun began to set. The cliffs threw long shadows onto the spotless snow, tinting it a deep blue. The four tributes changed course and headed back to the temperate zone, keeping along the cliffs. They slipped into the rock formation, unnoticed by the Careers, who were gathered on the other side of the Cornucopia.

Inside, they were glad to discover Amara already in position. She greeted them kindly, but her eyes were strangely dull. "I was looking for you on the ice side, but I got cold and decided to come back here and look for our supplies." She told them.

Kalin grimaced. "…And what made you think we were on the ice side?"

"Umm…I don't know. Because of your ice cube-?"

Kalin slapped his forehead. "I didn't have a tipoff about the arena!" He groaned. "I was drunk!"

Everyone laughed quietly at this. Except for the socially awkward Seth, of course. He just stared. Then Amara showed them where Tiger-Lilly had dumped them a small amount of food and weapons.

"My javelins!" Scarlet whispered, her eyes lighting up at the sight of them.

"She has done well." Seth commented simply, passing a small knife to Jarek.

Amara had the other one in her hand. She was staring down at it, taking deep breaths. Her features were lined with worry and sorrow.

"Is something wrong?" Kalin asked quietly.

"Galloway's dead." Amara responded in a trembling voice. "I watched her die."

Everyone's faces clouded with sadness.

"I liked her." Jarek said softly, true grief reflected in his eyes, "She was my friend."

"What happened?" Scarlet murmured.

"One of the Careers…strangled her…" Amara choked out, trying not to cry, "But I…I couldn't…" She felt a warm arm wrap around her.

"It's okay," Kalin soothed, "It's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything to help her, not against a Career."

Amara nodded mutely, closing her eyes to hold back the tears.

"None of us will forget Galloway…" Kalin went on in a strong voice, taking his arm off Amara and clenching his fist, "But we have a job to do. She would have wanted to see us go through with our plan."

Jarek nodded, looking determined. Amara took a deep breath, trying to set aside her emotions and focus on the task at hand. Seth and Scarlet exchanged a glance. She reached out and took Seth's hand, squeezing it. His eyes widened in astonishment. Scarlet smiled, knowing that she couldn't hold a grudge against him forever.

After a few minutes of silence, Kalin broke it. "Where's Luke? And Roam?"

"I haven't seen either of them." Amara replied, looking somber, "But there's no other weapons here, so I hope they managed to get their own."

"You don't think…that cannon…" Jarek whispered.

No one responded. The thought had all crossed their minds, but they didn't want to acknowledge it. "That cannon could have belonged to anyone." Kalin responded evenly.

But as the evening wore on, neither of the two young men showed. The tributes that had gathered were becoming increasingly nervous about what lay ahead. Any moment, the anthem would begin. The tributes that were no longer with them would be watching them murder one another from the sky.

They sat in silence, imagining it. They tried to force bits of food down their throat. They fiddled with their weapons, thankful that all of them were armed, hopeful that the rest of their alliance would show. But they never did.

Then the anthem began. Kalin rose to his feet and everyone followed suit. "Okay." He let out a long breath, stringing an arrow, "Let's do this thing."

**RIP Roam. Unfortunately, he was doomed to go early because of his condition (although it was really fun to write his random trains of thought). And I think I did a good job with his romance. Usually, I suck at serious romances. I can do crushes, flirting, sexual tension, whatever, but I can't write legit romance. But for some reason, his and Journey's felt really natural. So thank you, Roam, and I'm sorry you won't make it home to see her again. :(  
**


	18. After Sunset

**First of all, I'd like to say updates will be coming faster (depending on how fast I write, of course) because school is starting in a few weeks. And my free time is pretty much taken up by band camp, so I probably won't have time to write. So I'm trying to get in as many updates as possible before it starts. Try to keep up!**

**Second, I have yet another shout out. The creators of Seth (and Julia!), Scarlet, and Emmett are doing a SYOT collab and they're in need of characters! So go to Lavender's Oasis's profile and submit a tribute to the 48****th**** Hunger Games. You should totally do that because they mention my Hunger Games and Seth is in it as a Gamemaker, so you get to see more of him regardless if he dies or not in this one. Also, root for Shawn! :)**

**Second, the favorite character poll filled up pretty fast, so I closed that one and put up a new, fun one! The girl readers will enjoy it, though what few guy readers there are might want to skip this one. It's which tribute you would want to date! You can vote for any of the guys, regardless of whether they're in a relationship or not. Looks like some of you already discovered it. I'm curious to know who was the one who voted "Screw you, I'm a guy!" then voted for someone anyways. By the way, feel free to suggest new poll ideas.  
**

**As for the favorite character poll…**

**1****st**** Saffron and Ravish with 6 votes**

**2****nd**** Kelsea, Roam, and Scarlet with 5 votes**

**3****rd**** Hapi with 4 votes**

**4****th**** Adrenaline, Seth, Jarek, and Kalin with 3 votes**

**5****th**** Zane and Tiger-Lilly with 2 votes**

**6****th**** Baye, Luke, Amara, Ivan, Angela, Emmett, Galloway, Bentley, and Beatriss with 1 vote**

**7****th**** Dominic, Ember, and Hera with 0 votes**

**Wow, so congratulations District 1! I bet Ravish would be overjoyed if she existed, since she works so hard to please her fans. Saffron…he'd probably call you a bunch of mongrels. But I'm sure he'd be happy on the **_**inside**_**.**

After hunting for tributes all day, the two teams of Careers returned to the Cornucopia. It had been a long, frustrating ordeal. This arena was difficult to navigate, with all of its cliffs, lava, and snow. They had quickly tired and were glad to head back to the Cornucopia for a break. As they came upon Tiger-Lilly, they seemed to remember that she was apart of the team now.

"Anything to report?" Ravish asked, her eyes hard and calculating. She still didn't completely trust Tiger-Lilly. But the girl was so tiny…what could she hope to do to them?

"No, nothing." Tiger-Lilly said quickly. Ravish stared at her for a few seconds, as if trying to determine if she were telling the truth or not. "Oh! I put a few knives on the dead tributes so that they'd get taken away. I figured since we all had weapons, it'd be a good idea."

"Huh." Ravish said in a lighter tone, "Good job."

Zane had disappeared into the Cornucopia and come out with a container of food and a few water bottles. The seven of them settled down to eat dinner, going over the day's events.

"So I take it the cannon we heard was your doing?" Zane guessed, looking at the team that had gone to the fire side.

Ravish nodded proudly. "We caught the guy from District 6. So at least that's one district out of the running for this year!"

Tiger-Lilly realized with a sinking feeling that they were talking about Roam.

"Who offed him?" Zane wondered.

"I did." Kelsea volunteered.

Ravish avoided her gaze, looking annoyed. "So what happened with you guys?" She said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"We chased the fat girl," Adrenaline growled, "But we couldn't catch her."

Kelsea snorted, "You couldn't catch the _fat girl_?"

"Although I led the expedition, it wasn't my fault!" Saffron said hotly, "I wished to organize an ambush, but…"

"No one said it was your fault," Zane interrupted, rolling his eyes, "She was on the cliff above us. She just got lucky. Besides, it's pretty hard sprinting through all that snow."

"You can try again tomorrow." Dominic said helpfully.

"Not tomorrow. Tonight." Ravish said firmly, "We can relax for a bit, but after the anthem, I want to get right back out there and hunt some more tributes."

Adrenaline's eyes shone with excitement. She gave a small squeal and clapped her hands together. "Oh, that is gonna be so cool! Hunting them in the dark."

Ravish noticed Tiger-Lilly fidgeting nervously. "Something wrong?" She inquired, lifting her eyebrows.

"No." Tiger-Lilly lied, trying to think up some sort of excuse as to why she was acting so suspicious. But she just took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Every second brought them closer to the second Bloodbath that would occur tonight. She prayed that her alliance would still be alive by sunrise.

As the evening wore on, they discussed switching up the teams and whom they hoped to kill next. Angela was still near the top of their hit list, along with Luke. The arena darkened as night fell. In the distance, they could see the glow of lava, which seemed to light up the sky in a ghostly sort of way.

The anthem began quite abruptly, causing the Careers to give a start. They craned their necks to peer into the dark sky, where the Capitol seal had appeared. The anthem blasted into their ears, filling every crevice of the arena. Baye's image appeared first. Zane felt a twinge of guilt that he had not managed to save her in time. _Don't worry about it, _He scolded himself, _Everyone's going to have to die sooner or later, if I'm going to win this thing._

At that point, something compelled Ravish to tear her gaze away from the sky and look at her teammates. All of them were looking upwards—except for Tiger-Lilly. She was staring off into the darkness. Ravish could see her whole body shaking. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but then moving shapes caught her eye. Something was coming for them.

"We're being attacked!" Ravish shrieked, over the sound of the anthem. She sprang for her sword. Just as the rest of her alliance realized what was happening, a wave of tributes came swarming into their camp, armed and ready for battle. But the Careers were quick, grabbing their weapons and rising to meet the intruders. The two groups converged and exploded into fighting.

Ravish hesitated to join the fray, having been caught completely off guard. She quickly scanned their ranks and realized that there were only five of them. But then another one, the large boy from District 5, came melting out of the darkness. He was barreling straight for her, brandishing a short, pointed sword.

She lifted her rapier, preparing to meet him in battle, but a spiked star shot through the air, hitting his sword and glancing off of it. He turned, spotting Kelsea, and ran to attack her instead. Kelsea rolled forward, snatching up her throwing star, and then turned to fight. Luke bore down on her without mercy, slashing his sword. She narrowly avoided being impaled, scrambling backwards while trying to keep him at bay with her small stiletto.

Zane was being double-teamed by Seth and Scarlet. But the pair was having a hard time fighting side by side, as Seth was being careful not to hit Scarlet, who kept getting in the way while trying to stab their opponent with her javelin. But every time Zane tried to cut one of them, they both flared up and fought him off. He was quickly growing tired, trying to remain aware of his surroundings and keep from being gored by his opponents' weapons.

It was then he spotted Kalin, prowling on the outskirts of the group. The boy was taking aim at him with his crossbow. But Adrenaline came flying to Zane's rescue, shrieking and waving her saw. With no time to send an arrow flying her way, Kalin dodged around her saw and grabbed her arm with his free hand. With a great heave, he sent her sprawling across the rocks with a sickening thud. Her head collided painfully with the hard ground and she saw stars. But well aware of the danger that still loomed, she stumbled to her feet and shot off in a random direction before Kalin could finish her.

Dominic was shakily trying to take aim at one of the tributes that was coming towards him, brandishing a knife. He let an arrow fly—he missed by an inch. As he was busying himself, trying to string another arrow, pain suddenly stabbed through his upper arm. He stared, petrified, at the knife that had entered his flesh. The girl ripped the knife away, taking a step back. Bright red flecks of blood flew through the air and went running in streams down his arm.

Dominic's face was filled with fear, his mouth wide open in a silent scream. His panicked eyes locked with Amara's, and he could see his own terror mirrored in hers. She was backing away, the bloodstained knife trembling at her side. _My blood. _Dominic realized with a sickening feeling. Something he had never, _ever_ hoped to see. He dropped his bow, his hand flying to his arm to try and staunch the flow of blood. His vision swam with different colors, as if he were going to pass out at any moment.

During all of this, Ravish had spotted Tiger-Lilly. She seemed totally fearless, as she tried to intercept Saffron and Jarek. The blonde Career was chasing the little boy around the Cornucopia, trying to get at him with his katana. Ravish could see the glint of the knife in Tiger-Lilly's hand, as she prepared to throw it…not at Jarek, but at Saffron. She was fighting on the side of the tributes. At that moment, everything clicked into place. "Traitor!" Ravish screeched, bearing down on her.

Tiger-Lilly whipped around, but she was too slow. Ravish plunged her rapier into the girl's stomach. Tiger-Lilly gave a great gasp of pain. Ravish removed her sword, but struck again and again, fighting like a viper. Tiger-Lilly tried desperately to get away. But Ravish was quick, refusing to let her prey escape. She purposely avoided fatal areas, intent on making Tiger-Lilly suffer. "You'll pay for this!" She shrieked, driving her sword into the little girl's thigh. "All of you!"

"Let me go!" Tiger-Lilly screamed, summoning every last ounce of power she had to break away from Ravish. She lurched towards the Cornucopia, snatching up the backpack she had put together earlier. Then she ran for her life, knowing that she couldn't stay here any longer.

Ravish prepared to follow in pursuit, but then she remembered her alliance. She turned to see them struggling against the other tributes. Kelsea was leaning heavily on Zane, as they backed away from a trio of enemies. Zane waved his sword at them, his eyes ablaze with anger. Adrenaline was stumbling away in the direction of the fire side. Dominic had sunk to the ground, wounded. Ravish charged over to him, struggling to help him up with one arm. The boy seemed to be going into shock, his eyes rolling around in his head. He didn't seem to realize what was happening around him. "Everyone, RETREAT! Saffron, help me!" Ravish gasped. Saffron dashed over and the two helped their ally to his feet.

Two younger tributes advanced towards them, but then they paused, as if they were unsure they wanted to go through with this. The three Careers took this opportunity to escape, towing Dominic to safety. As they left, Saffron's head whipped up and he roared, "Do not think this is over! You foul-blooded mongrels will get what's coming to you!"

"Bring it!" Luke bellowed. He turned to the rest of his alliance. "Come on, let's get them!"

"No!" Kalin said sharply, "The goal was to overtake the Cornucopia. Let them go."

Luke turned to face him, open-mouthed with rage. "Are you kidding me? Let's kill them while they're weak! If we don't, they'll only come back to kill us!"

"We're lucky to be alive, Luke." Kalin growled, looking to the rest of their group, "The Careers are still a tough bunch—if we go after them now, they'll keep fighting us and inflict more damage than they already have." He nodded towards an oozing wound on Luke's shoulder, where Kelsea had cut him.

"And if we _don't _they'll just regroup and come back to kill us!" Luke argued.

"Be my guest if you want to go after them! But I'm staying here." Kalin said firmly.

"I'm with Kalin." Jarek said quietly, "It's a miracle we chased them off without anyone getting hurt."

Luke looked furious, glaring at each tribute. None of them seemed to want to follow through with the attack. They avoided his gaze, saying nothing, but he wasn't stupid. He knew they were on Kalin's side. In a fit of rage, he threw his sword at the ground. It hit the rocks with a loud clatter. Then he turned and stomped away.

Kalin's eyes were green slits. His fists were clenched at his side. Jarek, Amara, Seth, and Scarlet all looked at him, waiting for him to say something. Kalin heaved a great sigh, then turned to meet their gaze, his eyes searching. "Hey…where's Tiger-Lilly?"

* * *

"It all makes sense now!" Ravish raged, "Those tributes acting so buddy-buddy with one another at the ball, how so many of them managed to escape the Bloodbath yet get their hands on weapons…this was all apart of some big plan! And Tiger-Lilly was in cahoots with them!"

She and Saffron were slick with sweat from dragging Dominic. He was limp in their hands, his eyes dull with pain.

"I think we can stop here."

The Careers collectively collapsed, gasping for air, and removing their jackets. Ravish took off Dominic's and tied the sleeves tightly around his wound. Kelsea was clutching at her ankle, which was swelling up. She had twisted it while trying to defend herself from Luke. "We should have gone to the ice side." She muttered, but it went unheard, as Adrenaline had descended into an angry rant.

"I _told _you we should have killed Tiger-Lilly! But you just HAD to leave her on guard!"

"Let's not point fingers!" Ravish snapped, "I took care of it! I stuck her full of holes and she went running off to God knows where…"

"You didn't kill her?" Kelsea said in awe, "Ravish, what did I tell you? You can't play with them like that. You have to kill them quickly. Now her alliance will just be able to patch her up with the supplies they stole from us."

"Oh. I didn't think of that." Ravish admitted.

"Do you think Tiger-Lilly was the one who organized all of this?" Zane wondered.

"No. She doesn't seem the type." Ravish murmured.

Saffron looked grim. "I know not who is behind these trickeries, but they must have a death wish to mock me so." Everyone gave him a weird look as if to say, _since when has this been about you? _But Saffron was immune to this, turning his attention to Dominic. "Goldanchor," He said firmly, "Get up. Letting your weakness show in front of others is a mark of the vulgar class."

"He's right, Dom." Zane said, frowning, "It's just a small arm wound. You're going to be fine." He leaned over to check on how it was doing. To his surprise, the jacket was completely soaked with blood.

Kelsea gave a frustrated sigh. "No. He's not going to be okay."

Dominic's eyes blinked open, dull with hopelessness. His face was paler than usual, an unsettling stark white. His eyes rolled around in his head and locked onto Kelsea. They were wide and pleading. She looked away, her expression hard. _Not like you could have hidden this forever. _She told him silently.

Everyone looked at her, confused. She could see concern etched in Zane's face. "What do you mean?" He wondered.

Kelsea looked back at Dominic. She could see him struggling to speak, his face screwed up with terror.

"He has hemophilia." She said in a flat voice.

Adrenaline gave a loud yelp and sprang back a few feet.

"Calm down, Sugar Rush, it's not contagious!" Kelsea snapped, "It means his blood won't clot properly. So he'll just…bleed out until he dies. We can't do anything to stop it."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Saffron said strongly, crossing his arms, "Rush, take off your jacket and press it on top of that one. Don't remove his jacket, or else it'll undo the blood that has managed to clot. Ronan, turn him onto his side so that his arm is elevated above the rest of his body."

"Didn't you hear me?" Kelsea said in a low voice, "It's too late for him."

"Of course I heard you! You think I am deaf?" Saffron snapped.

"I think what he means to say is that we won't give up while Dominic is alive." Ravish murmured, looking down at the injured boy. He met her eyes, his face suddenly full of hope.

_Dad… _He thought, trying to ignore the dull pain in his arm and the warm blood that ran over his skin, _for the first time in my life, I feel like I can overcome this disease. And I feel like I have friends I can count on, too. Something that I've never experienced. I know only one person comes out of the Games alive. And I don't expect it to be me. But I'll always treasure this moment…for what time I have left…  
_

* * *

"Okay, everyone," Kalin said, pacing nervously back and forth, "Tiger-Lilly's gone, but she's still out there somewhere. We have to find her."

The rest of his alliance was gathered around a dinner setting. They had settled down to eat after dealing with any minor wounds that had been received. Luke narrowed his eyes, looking irritated, while the others exchanged uncertain glances. It had been an hour since the battle.

"What happened to staying with the Cornucopia?" Luke muttered to Amara.

Kalin, of course, heard that. His eyes blazed with determination as he protested, "This is different! She's our ally."

"Are you sure about that, Kalin? Maybe she ditched us for the Careers." Luke said disbelievingly.

"She's wouldn't!" Kalin growled, "I know Tiger-Lilly…"

"You've known her for _one week_." Luke argued, "Maybe she thought the Careers had their act together and ran off with them. I wouldn't blame her if she did…"

"No way. I refuse to believe it," Kalin said, "She's my district partner and I owe her for everything she's done for this alliance. Now she may be injured out there, and I'm going to look for her." Securing his crossbow to his arm, he trudged off into the darkness. A long silence followed his departure.

"He embarks on a dangerous task." Seth remarked, breaking it.

"I hope he'll be okay." Scarlet murmured, "The Careers are still out there."

"It's his problem now." Luke muttered, "He could have waited until morning, at least."

Amara kept quiet. Even though Kalin was foolishly risking his life to find Tiger-Lilly, she couldn't help but admire his perseverance. _Come back safe… _She thought, searching the darkness that had swallowed him.

* * *

Tiger-Lilly had somehow managed to escape to the fire side after being brutally assaulted by Ravish. She was bleeding out through multiple wounds, but she was too afraid to stop, for fear of being found. Pain blinded her and she stumbled along aimlessly. Her backpack felt as if it weighed a hundred pounds.

At some point, she collapsed. She wasn't even aware of herself anymore. One moment, she had been trying to walk, the next…she was on the ground. It was warm to the touch. Or perhaps that was just her blood, slowly pooling around her as it oozed out of her many, small wounds.

She closed her eyes, embracing the warmth. She laid there for a long time, drifting in and out of consciousness as her life poured out of her. Her rattled breathing turned shallow. She kept thinking she was dead. At some point, a cannon fired. She could have sworn it was hers. But the hard ground underneath and the sharp pains all over her body told her otherwise.

Suddenly, through the thick mist she was trapped in, she sensed someone standing over her. Gentle hands removed the backpack that felt as if it were full of bricks. Then they worked around her body, taking off the vest full of knives. Tiger-Lilly could feel relief bloom inside her. She shifted slightly, trying to find the strength to open her eyes. But they felt so heavy…

She forced open her mouth, rasping, "…Kal…in…?"

Hapi jerked in surprise. He had been quite certain that this girl was dead. He had been following her for a while and a cannon had gone off not long after she had collapsed. But looking at her now, he realized that her own cannon wasn't far off. She was wounded in multiple places, and had spilt a trail of blood in her wake. Much of the orange stone around her was bathed in red. He could see her struggling to draw breath.

"Kalin…!" She repeated, then broke off into a fit of coughing. Dark clumps of blood spattered the ground beneath her. The coughing turned to a horrendous wheezing. It was painful to listen to.

Hapi could feel his heart swell with pity. He reached into his newly acquired vest and pulled out one of the throwing knives. He gently wove one hand into her dark, matted hair and held her head up. With the other, he pressed the knife to the back of her throat.

Her eyes weakly fluttered open and locked onto Hapi's. Their brown depths were dull with uncomprehending. He could see her life was nearly diminished.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

A moment later, Tiger-Lilly's cannon fired, announcing that her pain had come to an end.

**RIP Tiger-Lilly. I'll miss this girl. She was a fighter and a good friend. A shame she never got to reap the rewards of her hard work, and she'll never get to return home to her large amount of family and friends.**

**I'm opening up shop for sponsors now. You may sponsor any tribute as long as it is not your own, but you only get one chance, so choose carefully. Don't hand them something ridiculous either, Saffron's not going to get any use out of a dove, as nice as it would be to buy him a new pet. Anyways, you may sponsor at any point in the Games, but a fair warning: I have the plot all laid out so I'm pretty picky about what to give the tributes. I'll tell you whether or not I accept it and if I don't you can try again.**

**MAKE SURE YOU PM ME WHO/WHAT YOU WANT TO SPONSOR! I will not accept them through reviews.**


	19. Spilling Guts

**In this chapter, tributes spill their guts! Whether that's literally or not, I'll let YOU find out! /badum ching/ **

**...If anyone seriously has a better suggestion for a chapter title, don't hold back. On the bright side, people who click on this story for the first time will be like "Hrm...Bloodbath...The Most Dangerous Game...After Sunset...enh. SPILLING GUTS WOAH THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT CHAPTER!" /click/  
**

The Careers sat slumped on the ground, looking defeated. They had lost the battle to keep the Cornucopia. They had no supplies. They only had their weapons and each other. And after that humiliating battle, they were down one.

"I guess we should move off so they can collect the body." Zane sighed.

Everyone looked at Dominic, who was lying there as if asleep. No matter how hard they tried, they just couldn't stem the flow of blood. The life had bled out of him at an alarming rate. Anytime before this, they wouldn't have counted this as a huge loss. Dominic was perhaps their weakest member. But now that they were up against this large tribute alliance, his death came as a major blow. Now it was just 5 of them up against however many this other alliance had to offer.

Brushing off their feelings of regret, they left Dominic's body to be collected by the hovercraft. Ravish's eyes followed his ascending corpse into the sky. "They're not going to get away with this," She murmured, "We'll have to attack as soon as possible if we want the Cornucopia back."

"Please, not tonight," Adrenaline groaned, from her position on the ground, "My head is killing me…"

"For now, we rest." Zane agreed, "Come on, let's find some shelter."

* * *

Two cannons in a row.

For some reason, this brought on a whole new wave of terror. Children were somewhere out there, dying in the darkness, one way or another. _Am I next? _Hera wondered. Too afraid to walk around in the dark of night, Hera had decided to stick to her small overhang. As long as she was quiet, no one would ever know she was there. They would have to be crawling on their hands and knees to see her laying flat on the ground.

She peered out, just staring at the molten lava for a long time, willing herself to go to sleep. Her stomach was incredibly empty, but she forced herself to preserve her small supply of food. It was no easy task. But somehow, with the threat of death looming over her, she was able to do it.

Ignoring the uncomfortable rocks jutting into her stomach, Hera closed her eyes. But sleep brought on unwanted thoughts. She found herself going through the day's events. All of those tributes dying…their faces appearing in the sky. She sniffled slightly, overcome with grief. She had barely even tried to get to know them. But now they were gone. Their families were mourning them. It hurt to think about it.

She pressed back tears, telling herself to stop being so weak. She had to focus on surviving. And if she was to do that, she would need her sleep. Sleep would be a lovely escape. She told herself this over and over, steering her mind away from grievous topics. Finally, at some point, she drifted off to a better place…

* * *

As Kalin wandered aimlessly on the paths of the fire side, his eyelids started to droop. Fatigue was beginning to creep into his muscles and he wanted nothing more than to lie down and fall asleep. But he kept reminding himself that he owed Tiger-Lilly for this. He had to find her and bring her back. There way no way she would have joined with the Careers—she was out there somewhere. Injured. Dying.

Within the hour, two cannons rang out. Both times they sounded, Kalin's heart nearly stopped beating. _It could be anyone. _He told himself. It was a dangerous arena. Someone could have been attacked by a muttation or fallen off a cliff…

He forged on, refusing to give up hope. But after thirty minutes, something caught his eye. His free hand immediately shot to his quiver of arrows strapped on his back. Lifting his crossbow, he took aim. But as the flying object drew closer, he could tell it was a parachute. He lowered his weapon and ran to catch it, hoping it was meant for him and not some other hidden tribute.

Kalin snatched up the small container and pried it open, hoping for something good. Inside, there was only a water bottle and a note. He lifted the note his face, blinking blearily, trying to focus on the words that were scrawled on it.

_She's dead. Go back._

All of Kalin's hope immediately crumbled away. He had half a mind to throw away the note and keep searching. As if doing so would bring Tiger-Lilly back to life. But he firmly told himself that his mentor gone through a lot to send this to him. It wasn't safe to be out after dark, and he had Kalin's best interests in mind, now that Tiger-Lilly was gone.

So Kalin lifted his face to the sky and gave a brief nod. He opened the bottle of water and chugged it, welcoming the relief it brought his dry throat. Then he turned and trudged back the way he came, going with a heavy heart.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Cornucopia, the tributes felt too anxious to fall asleep. The sense of victory they had expected to feel after defeating the Careers was non-existent. Galloway and Roam were dead—they had seen their faces watching them as the battle had raged. And now, Tiger-Lilly and Kalin were out there somewhere, lost in a hazardous arena that now contained vengeful Careers.

After Kalin had left, Luke had walked a good distance away from the Cornucopia and sat down. There he stayed, his shoulders slightly hunched. Amara could tell he was still angry. Being his district partner, she felt it was her place to talk to him. So she walked over and sat down next to him.

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly.

He didn't even acknowledge her presence. His eyes were hard and staring off into space. His sword was clamped tightly in his fist, as if he were expecting to be thrust into battle at any moment.

Amara searched for words. But it was hard to comfort Luke when she was on Kalin's side. "Everything's going to be okay." She told him. As soon as she uttered this, she felt extremely stupid. No, everything was _not _going to be okay. All but one was going to die. And there were still plenty of tributes out there, fighting for survival. Even with the Cornucopia, the odds still weren't completely in their favor.

So she just sat with Luke in silence, hoping that her presence was enough to soothe him. He did seem to soften a bit. The angry lines on his face disappeared and he laid his sword on the ground beside him. But still, he said nothing.

Amara started to doze off. She glanced back at the other three. They were huddled at the mouth of the Cornucopia, snoozing in sleeping bags. _I guess they think we're on guard. _She realized.

Suddenly, a looming figure emerged from the darkness. Luke was on his feet instantly, once again rigid with rage. His eyes blazed with accusations. Amara was immediately on guard, stringing an arrow on her newly acquired bow.

But in the strange half-light produced by the lava, she recognized that it was Kalin. Tiger-Lilly was not with him.

"Kalin!" Amara breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness." She cast a glance at Luke and saw that he still looked angry. His sword was glinting at his side. For a brief moment, she thought he was going to kill Kalin.

Instead, he asked, "Where's Tiger-Lilly?"

Kalin just shook his head. Amara could see his eyes shining with a weariness she couldn't begin to describe. "You don't think one of those cannons could have been hers…?" She whispered.

"Uh…I don't know." Kalin stammered out. "Maybe we can find her in the morning."

"That's where you're wrong." Luke growled, his voice suddenly laced with menace, "You're not calling the shots anymore, Kalin. I am."

Kalin's eyes went wide with surprise. Amara stared at her district partner, open-mouthed with shock. But then she realized that she should have seen this coming. Luke had never challenged Kalin directly, but he had always questioned his tactics and his abilities.

When no one said anything, Luke went on, "You may have gathered this alliance, but you're not using it in the right way. We should actively be hunting tributes. _We _chased the Careers out, so now it's our job to take their place. First thing tomorrow, we're going to find them. And this time, we'll kill every last one of them!" His voice rose in volume as he grew more excited.

Seth, Scarlet, and Jarek had woken up at the commotion. Now they were looking at the other half of their alliance, faces brimming with curiosity. Luke didn't acknowledge them. Instead, he got right up in Kalin's face, jabbing his chest with a finger. "And if you think for one second that you can stop me from taking over this alliance…I'll kill you."

But instead of rising up against Luke, Kalin seemed to shrink inwards. His tired face was completely defeated as he gave in, "Okay, Luke. You're in charge." He held up his hands in a show of surrender.

Luke stared hard at Kalin, as if he didn't quite believe him. Without another word, Kalin brushed him off and moved slowly towards the Cornucopia. Luke and Amara followed, Luke trying to wipe a victorious smirk off his face. Kalin passed by the others without a word, and approached the pile of backpacks. There, he sat down with his back to everyone, digging around for food.

"Kalin…?" Jarek began, but Luke came and towered over all of them.

"I'm calling the shots from now on," He announced, "Starting tomorrow, we're going to hunt down the Careers and all the rest of the tributes. If you're not with me, then you're against me. And I'll kill anyone who's against me." He glowered at Kalin's back, but the former-leader pointedly ignored him. "Is that clear?"

Seth and Scarlet exchanged a glance. Jarek was gaping at Luke and nodding. Amara felt frozen. She had never expected this coming from Luke. He had always been so mellow and collected. Were the Games revealing his true colors? Or were they twisting him when they weren't even to the second day?

"Oh, and I want two guards at all times." Luke went on, "One for each side of the arena. Amara and Kalin, you're on guard for now. Everyone else, get some sleep."

With that, he snatched up one of the sleeping bags and rolled it out for himself. Everyone but Seth seemed to be seized with shock. As usual, he was unphased. "Kalin, what of this inexplicable newfound expatriation?" He questioned, turning towards their former leader.

Kalin stiffened up, but didn't respond. He quickly grabbed some food and moved off to sit on the other side of the Cornucopia. Everyone watched him go, a strange glumness settling over them.

"Go to sleep." Luke said in a calmer voice, "We have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

Amara watched enviously as everyone bedded down for the night. Today had been the longest day of her life. She wanted nothing more than to join them. But Luke had put her on guard. _If you're not with me, then you're against me. _His words echoed in her mind. So she took her bow and arrows, found a comfortable spot on the rocks, and settled down.

But she couldn't force herself to stay awake. She quickly grew drowsy. At some point, she fell asleep. But her dreams were full of nightmarish images. She could see Galloway, tears running down her face as she screamed for Amara to help her. She tried to move forward, but she felt as if she were moving in slow motion. Galloway melted into oblivion, but her cries still echoed in Amara's ears.

Then, writhing shapes emerged from the blackness. It was her alliance, fighting for their lives against the monstrous Careers. She watched helplessly as Adrenaline leaped onto Kalin and tore his throat out with pointed teeth. She screamed at the sight of blood dripping from the girl's fangs. Kalin's eyes were glazed and lifeless, blood gushing from his wound.

Adrenaline turned towards Amara, licking the blood from her lips. She looked more animal than human. Amara could feel rage building from within and was suddenly aware of the cool feel of the knife in her hand. Adrenaline lunged. But she drove the knife into the girl's heart, shrieking furiously.

Then Adrenaline turned into the scared boy from District 4. His face was blank with fear at the sight of blood on his chest. He looked at Amara, tears pooling in his eyes. "Why?" He mouthed.

"I'm so sorry!" Amara gasped, "I didn't mean to! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Amara…"

A weak voice caused her to rip her eyes off of Dominic's wound and look towards Kalin. There was a gaping hole in his throat, but somehow, he was alive. Barely.

"Kalin!" Amara cried out, going to his side.

He grabbed her face in his hands, and roared with unexpected strength, "AMARA WAKE UP!"

Amara's eyes flew open with a sharp gasp. She was lying rigid on her back, trembling uncontrollably. Kalin was peering down at her, his green eyes reflecting the distant magma. A curl had spilled out onto his forehead and his thick eyebrows were knitted with concern. "You were having a nightmare." He told her.

Amara struggled to sit up. She clutched her legs to her chest, trying to stop from shaking. But she couldn't. The images from the dream were still fresh in her mind. Everything had seemed so _real_. Amara buried her face in her knees and unwillingly let out a sob.

Kalin gave a jerk of surprise. "Hey, hey, it's okay!" He said quickly, sitting down beside her.

"No, it's not." She whispered, her mind drifting back to the wounded Dominic, "I killed someone today. Or…I stabbed him, anyways."

"Um…I'm sorry?" Kalin blinked. "But, y'know that _is _the point of the Games. Kinda."

"I know." Amara said miserably, "I just feel so awful about it. And now Luke is going to make us kill more people tomorrow. _Why didn't you stop him from taking over the alliance?_" She was surprised at her own fervor. But she realized that she was angry with Kalin for calmly stepping aside when Luke challenged him.

"Would you rather I had fought him and lost?" Kalin mused.

"You could have worked out an alternative. You could have compromised!" Amara said hotly.

"There's no compromising with him." Kalin replied in a quiet voice.

"You can't say that when you didn't even try."

To her surprise, Kalin emitted a small laugh. "I guess you're right. Oh well."

"_Oh well?_" Amara repeated, appalled.

Kalin just shrugged. "It's too late now. You want me to go over and kill him in his sleep or something? Because that'd be pretty low."

"No…" Amara said quietly. "He's my district partner, after all."

"Exactly. And he's a valuable member of this team." Kalin nodded.

"Okay. Fine. I give up." Amara sighed. "You'd better get back to your post."

"Getting rid of me?" Kalin grinned, eyes sparkling.

"Yes."

Kalin gave a dramatic sigh. "Okay, I'll go. But I'll be back to wake you up in case you have anymore nightmares."

"Thanks." Amara said softly.

"And Amara?" Kalin went on, "Don't worry about whether you killed that boy or not. You were just doing what you needed to do to survive. That doesn't make you a bad person."

Amara couldn't help but smile at him. "Thank you, Kal—"

"HEY GUYS!" Both nearly leaped out of their skins as Jarek appeared out of nowhere, grinning. "What's up?"

"The sky." Kalin grumbled.

"Oh, that's funny! You're funny, Kalin. Luke told me to switch out with someone. Wanna switch?" Jarek chirped.

Kalin refused his offer. "Switch with Amara," He told the younger boy, "She's dead tired."

Amara shook her head, objecting, "No, switch with Kalin. He's been up all night looking for Tiger-Lilly and keeping watch."

Jarek looked at each of them in turn. "Uhh…so who should I switch with?" He wondered, completely at a loss.

Amara lifted her chin. "Kalin." She said firmly. He looked at her, his eyes searching. "I won't be able to get back to sleep after that nightmare anyways." She added. That made him give in.

"Okay. Good night, you two." He moved off, headed back to the cluster of sleeping tributes.

Jarek looked at Amara. "Don't worry. I'm sure Luke will send someone to take your place soon enough." Then he turned and hurried away into the darkness, disappearing towards the other side of the Cornucopia.

Amara watched him go. Then her gaze wandered over to Kalin's unmoving figure, wrapped up in a sleeping bag. She observed him for a minute, then forced herself to turn away and go back to keeping watch.

_Thank you, Kalin. _She finished, unexpected warmth filling her up at the thought of him.

* * *

"Mmm…good morning, Emmett." Beatriss yawned.

Emmett stirred. "G'mrrng…" He grunted.

Yesterday, the two had managed to trek to the fire side without running into any other tributes. They were high up on the cliffs, on the outskirts of the arena. Using a grappling hook that had come with Emmett's pack, they had scaled up as high as possible. It had been quite the hike, forcing them to find ways around lava flows and avoid fields of geysers, but it had been worth it to find a safe place away from the other tributes.

There, they had fallen asleep together, curled on top of Emmett's thick parka. The cannons had woken them up at some point, but they were all the more pleased to see that they were safe.

Currently, Beatriss was removing a small breakfast of dried fruit and bread from Emmett's pack. She stared coldly at the rest of the food, knowing that she would have to split it with him.

"It's too bad no other weapons came with this pack. I don't think a grappling hook is very useful when it comes to combat." Emmett remarked, tiredly munching on a pear slice.

"Yeah. Too bad." Beatriss gazed at him, observing the black jumpsuit that clung to his lean frame. He was slick with sweat. Of course, she was too. She made sure to take a long drink from their shared canister of water before passing it to him. "I meant to ask, how did you get that wound?" She asked curiously.

Emmett glanced at his arm. He had torn up his jacket and wrapped a strip of it around his cut. Luckily, it had been shallow, although it still stung a bit. "I was fighting a Career." He admitted.

Beatriss's eyes widened. "Oh." She breathed, "I'm glad you're okay."

Emmett moved towards her, his eyes shining gratefully. He gave her a soft kiss on the lips and drew back. "I meant to do that yesterday, when I came across you in that tree. I'm so glad I did. I don't know how I could survive without you."

"Emmett…" Beatriss murmured, _you really need a confidence boost. _Instead she told him, "I'm the one who couldn't survive without you." _Or your supplies._

He leaned forward and kissed her again. She kissed him back. Then breakfast turned into a full-on make out session. Emmett was full of passion. But part of him remembered his parents and his brother. Were they seeing this? What would they think of him now? Someone wanted him. He wasn't a complete failure, after all.

But Beatriss didn't share this emotion. She had gone through this charade many times before, in the name of money. Money was the means of her survival. This time, the backpack would be her payment. Remaining lip locked with Emmett, she silently reached out and twined her fingers around the handle of the spadroon.

She lifted it off the ground as quietly as possible, getting a firm grip on it as she did so. Suddenly, Emmett pulled back, gasping for breath. "I think you're the first person to ever truly care about me." He said in a quavering voice. She could see the tears that shone in his eyes. "And I want you to know that I really care about you."

Beatriss's heart nearly stopped. "…Really?" She said in a faint voice.

Emmett nodded. "My parents never loved me. That's why I'm here…when my brother tried to volunteer for me, they refused him."

"That's awful." Beatriss responded in a flat voice, still very aware of the sword she held in her hand. It was pointed at Emmett's back, but he didn't even realize it.

"But I deserved it," Emmett went on tearfully, "I'm not as good as him. I don't have any friends. I try to act confident because I know people find that more attractive, but I just don't have it in me. I'm so useless." He felt like such a loser, spilling everything to this girl. But it felt so good to say it out loud, instead of holding it inside.

Beatriss lowered the sword. "Don't say that." She said in a quiet voice, "I'm more useless than you are."

Emmett stared at her, uncomprehending. "Impossible. You're _perfect_."

"I killed my father and became a prostitute." Beatriss gave a dry laugh, "So much for your high standards, huh?"

She could see Emmett become seized with shock. Her grip tightened on the sword as she prepared to plunge it into his back. But to her surprise, he declared, "That doesn't change the way I feel about you!"

Beatriss narrowed her eyes disbelievingly.

"I'm not completely stupid," Emmett went on, "I knew there was something up…you just seem so…broken. But I'm not going to leave you just because of something you did in your past. I'm going to fix you." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

Beatriss let the sword fall from her grasp. It clattered to the ground, but neither of them took any notice of it. Beatriss could feel tears pouring from her eyes. She no longer felt afraid. This boy, Emmett, was _good_. He wasn't trying to use her, like all the other men she had ever encountered. _Like I'm trying to use him. _She realized, crying even harder, _I'm such a terrible person._

She reached up and wiped at her eyes. Then she noticed something strange, blurring her vision. "What's that over there?" She sniffled, pointing at it. Emmett drew back and looked over his shoulder.

His nose wrinkled with distaste. "Ugh. Some sort of purple smoke coming out of the ground. This place is so weird, isn't it?"

Beatriss suddenly had a bad feeling in her gut.

The smoke was seeping out of the ground at an alarming rate and gathering in a dark lavender cloud. Then, for some reason, it stopped coming out and just remained there, hovering a few feet up.

"Let's leave." Beatriss begged, packing up their bag and slinging it around her shoulders. Just as the words left her mouth, the smoke started coming towards them. As if it were aware of their presence. Normal smoke sure didn't behave like that.

Emmett hurriedly grabbed the grappling hook and secured it on a rock. The rope cascaded down the side of the cliff. Just as they started climbing down, the smoke enveloped them.

Beatriss's lungs burned. She tried to cry out, but all she could do was cough. "Keep climbing down!" She heard Emmett rasp. She looked up at him. His eyes were streaming and his breath was coming out in ragged pants.

Beatriss forced herself to climb down, but she felt unbearably dizzy. Each breath became harder to take. Her lungs felt as if they were closing up. She climbed blindly, thinking that this was the end. She would pass out and fall to her doom. But then she felt the firm ground beneath her. She stood there, swaying. Emmett landed next to her, yanking the grappling hook down after him. He jammed it into their backpack and gave her a large shove.

"Come on, let's move!" He roared, trying to drag her out of the poisonous gas.

As soon as they were clear of it, they were able to breathe. The two of them broke out into a sprint. Both were fairly fast, but so was the smoke. It was right on their heels as they struggled to outrun it, taking in large gulps of air.

Beatriss could feel herself slowing down. Emmett pulled on ahead, but she could barely see him through the smog. In a few seconds, he had completely disappeared. In his place, there was only this thick, purple fog. Beatriss tried to force air into her lungs, but the toxicity burned. She kept running, hopeful that she could once again free herself from the smoke's deadly grip and catch up to Emmett.

But then the ground suddenly fell out from underneath her. She was falling. It wasn't a long fall, but she hit the ground painfully. It knocked the wind out of her, making it even more difficult to draw air. She lay there for a few seconds, gasping, trying to force herself back up.

She glanced upwards, realizing that the smoke had not followed her down to the lower ground. She vaguely recalled that when confronted with smoke, one must keep close to the ground. But this wasn't your normal smoke. The rules didn't apply to it. So she waited for it to pursue her and once again envelop her.

Instead, it hovered on the edges for a moment…and then it receded. It moved off and dissipated into thin air. Beatriss watched it go, feeling confused. Why had the Gamemakers set this on them, and then pulled it away? Was this a test? Or maybe it was to separate her from Emmett…

She forced herself onto her feet, keeping an eye on the part of the cliff the smoke had hovered. She didn't trust the Gamemakers at all. That smoke had appeared for a reason.

Suddenly, she could hear a familiar voice in the distance calling her name. Emmett.

"Beatriss!" He shouted.

Beatriss turned.

Just as she did so, Emmett saw the flash of the knife. It flew through the air and, with stunning precision, sunk into the back of her neck.

"NO!" Emmett screamed.

Beatriss's eyes widened dramatically. She stood there for a moment, swaying, as if she were going to pitch forward. Then, to Emmett's surprise, she reached up and yanked the knife straight out of her flesh. She whirled around, shrieking furiously, and flew at Hapi.

He had been hiding in the shadows, just waiting for someone to come by. But his aim had been slightly off center. He hadn't managed to penetrate the part where the spinal cord connected to the brain.

Beatriss charged at him, blood gushing out the wound in her neck. She raised the bloodied knife and slashed at his face. Hapi leaped backwards, but the knife grazed him, leaving a thin cut that ran vertically over his eye. Unphased, Hapi dodged around her and grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her as he did so. She tried to break free and stab him again, but he already had another knife in his hand. This time, he did not miss.

"Beatriss!" Emmett screamed, as her body slumped to the ground. He took off running towards her, hoping that by some miracle, she was still alive. He brought back his sword, ready to run Hapi through.

"Stop!" Hapi commanded in a powerful voice, "Or I'll kill you too!" He held up one of his throwing knives.

Emmett skidded to a halt. He was too far to strike the other tribute with his sword—but he was well within the range of Hapi's knives. And so Emmett just stood there, shaking with frustration. Tears ran down his face, but he didn't care. He was seriously considering just going for the kill when Beatriss's cannon fired.

Emmett's knees gave out from under him and he sunk to the ground.

Hapi gazed at him, intrigued. "You had feelings for this girl." He stated simply.

Emmett glowered at him, wiping his face. "Yeah. So what?"

"So, you're not very bright for trying to seek a romance in this setting. Only one comes out alive. Even if you had managed to make it to the final two, in the end, she would have killed you. I'm sure of it."

"She wouldn't!" Emmett protested.

Hapi just laughed.

Emmett rose to his feet, snarling, "Stop laughing at me!"

Hapi grinned. "Forgive me. I find it's easier to handle certain situations when one injects a little bit of laughter into it. Now if you'll excuse me, I've already taken one life today, and I'm not in the mood to take any more. Besides, I need to gather this girl's belongings before the hovercraft steals them away."

"They're mine!" Emmett roared angrily.

"They're _mine_ now." Hapi said, narrowing his eyes. He leaned down and slid the knife out of Beatriss's neck. Then he pointed it at Emmett. "Now leave. You're getting on my nerves." He added in a low, dangerous voice.

Emmett hesitated. He still had half a mind to try and attack Hapi.

The Asian smiled and gave another small chuckle. Emmett could feel a chill run up his spine. But he didn't want to die. He loved Beatriss, but he still had to return home and prove himself to his parents. So, telling himself to let her go, he turned and walked away. His shoulders shook with the grief they supported. He could feel Hapi's searing gaze following him until he was out of sight. He circled around a cliff and found a secluded spot, safe from wandering eyes.

There, he collapsed and cried his heart out.

**RIP Dominic and Beatriss.**

**Dominic: Even though he was quiet and weak, I think his hemophilia really made him stand out in the end. It was also pretty exciting to reveal it, and even have him cling to a ray of hope that he could overcome it. It made his death one of the saddest ones so far. Okay, now I feel really bad for his doggie and his daddy. Sniff…we'll miss you Dom. **

**Beatriss: I kinda feel like I sucked at writing her, and she was never one of my favorites (I don't like whores) but as I wrote that last scene with her and Emmett, she grew on me. Especially the part where she realized how terrible she was for using him and cried harder. Bye Beatriss, sorry I have the tendency to rip couples apart like that…but it's just so much fun!  
**


	20. License to Kill

**This story is officially longer than the Disastrous 42****nd****! Wow. Y'know I'm kinda curious as to which story you guys liked better. I would make a poll, but I'm sure there's plenty of people reading this that haven't read the 42****nd**** and the 43****rd**** would just win it all. So if you feel like doing so, say which one you like better in your review.**

**As for me, I'd have to say I like this one a bit better. Although the arena in the 42****nd**** was boss, the cast of characters in this one is what makes it. Plus, there are a lot of interactions between them, even while in the Games. Don't get me wrong, 42****nd**** still had some great characters, but while this one had 30-40 submissions, 42****nd**** struggled to get all 24 tributes. Thus, it was a first come, first serve, and some of the characters sucked.**

**Heh, I love sneaking in quotes when there are tributes based off of certain characters. Although I'm sure some of you have already noticed. /ADD moment. ANYWAYS I have another shoutout. Twister Triste, the creator of Adrenaline, has started her own Hunger Games and is in need of tributes! Feel free to head over to her profile and submit one after you read this chapter.**

After stealing supplies, Angela had ventured deep into the ice side. As she went, the pure white snow rose to her knees. The cliffs became less jagged and turned into sloping ridges. Eventually, she came to a point that the snow had completely frozen over. She unsteadily placed her feet on top of it, trying to stand up tall. The next second, she was laying flat on her stomach.

Deciding that it was too cold and slippery all the way out here, she had doubled back to seek shelter elsewhere. But then an idea struck her. She headed back to the slightly warmer, snowy area. There, she spent an hour making as many snowballs as she could carry. She molded them into small, perfect spheres. If she could freeze them, they would make excellent projectiles. So she left them in the colder area, where even the snow was frozen over.

After that, she left and found a cave to sleep inside for the night. She nestled into the snow, keeping her hands warm by a tiny fire she had created with her stolen matches. Even though she was very cold, she had quickly drifted to sleep. It had been a long day.

The next morning, she followed her set of tracks back to where she had left the snowballs. It was a long, difficult trek. _On one hand, the frozen ground doesn't leave a trail… _She acknowledged, placing her feet down carefully on the slippery surface. She found her arsenal exactly where she had left it. The snowballs were as hard as a rock. She smirked. _It would be hilarious to smack someone upside the head with one of these._

She slipped them into her bag, hoping that they would remain that way. Then she headed back the way she had come, just wandering.

Walking around at the bottom of a steep hill, she realized something. The snow was piled high on the ridges, but there seemed to be a path cutting down through the trees, where the slope was steepest. Angela considered this for a long while, thinking it very strange. The side of the mountain looked as if it had a giant bite taken out of it.

Then something clicked in the back of her mind. Her father had always told them about the dangers of harvesting wood, especially during the winter. One of his best friends had lost his life when the snow on the side of the mountain came roaring down, burying the trees and many of the workers. They had been making too much noise…that was what had caused it. It had happened a long time ago, but this conversation was fresh in her mind.

_This is an avalanche zone. _Angela acknowledged, a sly smile spreading across her features. Already, she was forming a plan. It was a ridiculous plan. But she knew she would have the resolve to see it through.

* * *

"Kalin Barry. I request an interval of your time in order to converse with you." Seth said in a flat voice.

Kalin gave a start. He had been put back on guard in the early morning of the second day, and had been spacing out. Seth had woken up early and approached him from behind. "You just about scared me to death!" Kalin exclaimed, sighing in relief when he saw who it was, "What do you need?"

"I'd like to address two factors. Firstly, you did not answer my inquiry as to the reasoning behind your exile."

"I wasn't exiled." Kalin growled. He didn't feel like talking about this issue, especially not with Seth. The boy's dull gray eyes always seemed to be judging those around him.

"But you are no longer our superior…" Seth continued.

Kalin cut him off. "What's the other thing you wanted to talk about?" He said hastily.

Seth hesitated. "This is not easy to say, but…I am led to believe that…how should I put this…?"

"Just spit it out." Kalin said, waving a hand in dismissal. "I can take it." He half-expected Seth to put him down in one way or another. Call him a bad leader or criticize his decisions, just as Amara had. He never would have guessed what was coming next…

"Okay," Seth took a deep breath and confessed, "I am led to believe that I have acquired a life-threatening disease from Miss Kirkland."

Kalin lifted his eyebrows, looking concerned. His mouth was slightly agape as he fought the urge to get up and sprint away from Seth in case he was contagious. "And…and what makes you think that?" He asked, trying to sound calm.

"She is obviously the carrier of this inexplicable illness. Whenever I am in her vicinity, my palms sweat and my abdominal area feels peculiar. My heart accelerates so rapidly that I fear it may kill me. I must know, do you also experience this?"

Kalin just stared at Seth, completely at a loss. Then, when he realized what he was talking about, he burst out laughing. He actually flopped onto his back, chest heaving. He was laughing so hard he could barely breathe. "Seth…you're killing me!" He crowed, clutching at his sides.

Seth looked at him in alarm. "Oh, curses! Already, I have passed this virus on to you!" He rose to his feet, as if he were going to run for help.

"No, wait…!" Kalin gasped, trying to contain himself, "Sit back down, Seth. It's not a disease at all."

Seth uncertainly did as he asked. "Then…I am not killing you?"

"No. And Scarlet isn't contagious." Kalin replied, sitting up.

Seth racked his brain for some explanation. "Then what is the meaning of this…?"

Kalin gave a small chuckle. "It's called a crush. It's how your body reacts when you like a girl."

Seth's eyes widened. "Go on." He said in awe.

"Uhh…" Kalin scratched the back of his head awkwardly, wondering how to explain it. "Well, you've been hanging around Scarlet a lot and I guess you became attracted to her before you even realized it. As for the feelings you're getting, it's completely natural."

"You get these feelings too?" Seth inquired.

Kalin blushed slightly, his thoughts drifting back to certain girl. "Yeah, sure, but let's not talk about me. Let's talk about _you_. What else would you like to know?"

Seth looked confused. "I still don't understand why my body would react in such a way. Is it some sort of chemical reaction? Is she releasing pheromones?"

Kalin just stared at his companion. "I don't know. I'm sure there's some fancy schmancy explanation for it, but honestly, I don't really care."

"I will have to research it when I…" Seth trailed off. He had been about to say, _when I go home_, but then he remembered where he was. He was likely to never see another book again. His heart fell slightly as reality once again set in.

"Look, it doesn't matter _how _it happens. It just does. What's important is acting on your impulses!" Kalin said, punching the air with his fist.

"Acting on my impulses…" Seth repeated in a grave voice. Somehow, that didn't sound like such a good idea to him. "I have tried giving her gummy worms, and I offered to catch her once." He pointed out.

"That's not enough, bud."

"Then what would you have me do?"

Kalin smiled mischievously. He raised his hands in front of him, saying in a dreamy voice, "Visualize it in your mind! She's standing there, snow flurries in her flowing, blonde hair—or ash, whichever you'd prefer—and you approach. Your swag is at maximum. She turns, looking at you with those big blue eyes…"

"Brown eyes." Seth corrected.

"Right. She looks at you with those big brown eyes and says, 'Seth? Is there something you want?' Flexing your muscles, you…"

"Let's be realistic, here!" Seth snapped, feeling annoyed. For some reason, hearing Kalin describe it like that irked him. As if _he _were planning to steal all the glory. He eyed Kalin's strong arms enviously. "Just…provide me with something to say. Please."

"All right." Kalin said in a serious tone. He leaned towards Seth, his gaze boring into him, "You're gonna go up to her…and this is what you're gonna say…" Kalin gave a dramatic pause.

"Yes…?" Seth whispered. The suspense was killing him.

Kalin took a deep breath and said, "Scarlet, you're the smartest, funniest, toughest, buffest, talentedest, incrediblest girl in the world!" Then he smiled triumphantly, as if he had just come up with the best pickup line in existence.

Seth frowned. "Somehow, I envisaged it to be slightly more…amorous."

"Are you kidding? She'll fall for you in an instant! Now get out there and woo that woman!" Kalin declared, pounding Seth on the back.

Seth looked slightly insulted, but he didn't say anything. He just up and walked away, wondering why Kalin had hit him. Kalin watched him go, beaming, completely oblivious.

Seth circled around the Cornucopia to come upon Scarlet, who had been placed on guard duty as well. As he drew closer to her, his heart started pounding once more and his stomach felt like it was performing backflips. But he reminded himself that this was no disease, and approached her bravely.

At the sound of his footsteps, Scarlet whirled around, looking at him with her big brown eyes. "Seth? Is there something you want?" She wondered.

Seth gave a jerk of surprise. She had said exactly what Kalin predicted!

Scarlet frowned. "Are you okay?" She asked, concerned at his weird spasm.

"Scarlet…" He began, but then his mind went blank. He completely forgot what he was supposed to say. He just stood there, feeling slightly dizzy, as he tried to recall what it was.

Scarlet just stared at him, looking more than a little freaked out.

"Scarlet…you are…really buff." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. _That's not what it was! _He wailed inwardly.

Luckily, Scarlet didn't flip out on him as she did when he had called her a demon. But she didn't look too happy with this compliment either. "Umm…thanks? I guess?" She muttered awkwardly.

"No…I mean…"

"Well, never mind that!" She interrupted, "I've been wanting to talk to you. Come over here so we can do it quietly."

Seth could feel his face heating up, as if he had contracted a fever. Once again, he told himself that this wasn't a virus. It was because he had "a crush." _What a strange word for such a thing, _He mused, as he sat down next to her, _I do not wish to crush Scarlet at all._

"Okay…" She whispered, "I wasn't going to tell anyone, but…I'm leaving the alliance."

Seth registered a faint surprise. But his face was smooth and devoid of emotion as he asked why.

"Well," She went on, her eyes darting around suspiciously, "I only really signed up in the first place so I could get supplies. And now that we have the entire Cornucopia, I can just pack a bag and leave. Besides, I don't want to hunt down tributes like Luke plans to do."

"But if you abscond, then he'll hunt _you _down." Seth pointed out, feeling worried for Scarlet.

Her eyes were soft as she admitted, "I was hoping you'd come with me."

Seth could practically feel his heart melting. "Okay," He agreed, feeling slightly light-headed. "But we must be cautious. We'll stockpile provisions only when it's safe."

Scarlet nodded, smiling. "Thanks, Seth! I'm so glad. When do you think we should leave?"

Seth paused, considering this. "This time tomorrow." He decided.

"Okay." Scarlet agreed. She glanced towards the Cornucopia, "Looks like everyone's starting to wake up. Let's have breakfast."

Seth nodded and the two wandered over to the mouth of the Cornucopia. Jarek was up and jabbering away to Luke about pointless topics, while the older boy sleepily ignored him. Amara was still asleep, having spent a lot of time on guard duty. Kalin was just walking up. He caught Seth's eye and gave him a wink. "How'd it go?" He mouthed, but Seth turned away and didn't respond.

"Okay Amara, time to get up. I want everyone to eat a good breakfast, because we're going hunting right away." Luke declared, "Today is the day we wipe out the Careers."

Amara sat up, blinking sleepily. Jarek was once again nodding at each point Luke made. Seth and Scarlet remained quiet, eating side by side, both of them thinking about their plan to leave the alliance. _I wonder why she did not ask Kalin? _Seth wondered, but then he pushed the thought aside. It didn't matter. She had asked him, and so he would accompany her.

"Are you sure that's a wise decision?" Kalin asked, "There's at least six of them, and six of us."

"Then we'll be evenly matched." Luke replied.

"You're not going to leave anyone to guard the Cornucopia?"

"Fine. _You _can stay and guard camp. Jarek, too."

Jarek looked a little bit put out, but Kalin had a smug look on his face.

Amara nibbled on a pear, looking thoughtful. "But then the Careers outnumber us…"

Seth backed her up. "You must reconsider your tactics."

"Okay, fine." Luke consented, "We won't go looking for the Careers in particular. We'll just look around and kill whomever we find. We'll start on the ice side—it'll be easy to track them in the snow."

Everyone agreed quietly and finished up their breakfasts. Amara felt slightly sick after eating hers. After yesterday, she just wanted to stay here, where it was safe, and at a sufferable temperature. But Luke was hurrying them along, wanting to get going.

"Um, Luke?" She said hesitantly as they moved off from the Cornucopia, "I don't feel too well…can't you take Jarek instead of me?"

Luke cast her a sideways glance. "Nah, Jarek's useless. Besides, we might need you to shoot off a few arrows."

Kalin could see Jarek freeze up at Luke's words. His face puckered into a frown, but he didn't say anything. _Way to go, Luke. _Kalin sighed inwardly, watching their retreating figures, _Just because you were walking away from us doesn't mean we ceased to exist._

Jarek was silent for a long time after that. It was quite out of the ordinary for him. Kalin could tell he was really upset, and searched for words of comfort. He held out a roll to the poor kid, saying, "Jarek, don't worry about what he said. He's wrong."

Jarek just stared at him morosely with his sad blue eyes. "Really?" He murmured.

"Really." Kalin assured him, handing him the bread.

Jarek accepted it graciously, but he still didn't look any happier. For a long time, they sat there in an uncharacteristic silence. Then Jarek broke it by saying, "I wish you were still the leader."

Kalin didn't respond.

* * *

Bentley, meanwhile, had been doing all right. Although his backpack hadn't come with a big, fuzzy parka or water, he had still managed to come away with good supplies. Currently, he had a lighter, an empty canister, a fishing line/hook, iodine, and a wool blanket. There were also little packets of warmth that would heat up for 24 hours if Bentley shook them. He had never seen anything like them. Once he knew what they were capable of, he saved the rest of them for an emergency. Other than the basic stuff, it was obvious that this backpack was meant for someone with the skill of a fisherman.

And although Bentley had no food or water, he knew he could easily get some with his newfound tools. So he had set up a camp in a woodsy part of the arena, by a large frozen pond. The evergreen trees provided decent cover and, with the help of his axe and lighter, Bentley was able to carve a hole into the ice. Then, he turned a stick into a crude fishing pole. Carson had taught him how to do so, a long time ago. They were planning to sneak out through District 12's fence to go fishing. In the end, they had chickened out, telling themselves they would save it for another day. But they never did. The fishing poles remained untouched for years, eventually forgotten with time.

_We should have taken the risk, _Bentley thought regretfully. It would have made for a good memory. Even if they had gotten caught, it wouldn't have mattered. Not now that they had both gotten the death sentence.

At least the Gamemakers hadn't been cruel to Bentley…not yet, anyways. He had actually proven to be quite good at fishing. The fish must have been as starved as the tributes in the arena, because every hour seemed to produce a new meal for Bentley. _Or they just don't want to see me die of hunger, _Bentley thought, reeling in a rainbow trout, _No, I'm sure they have something else in store for me after that fiasco of an interview…_

At night, Bentley slept in the trees, snuggling into his thick blanket. He made sure to clear away all of the snow so that it would not soak into his clothes. There was a small cave on the other side of the lake, hidden by the branches of a tree, but Bentley didn't want to sleep in there. He was claustrophobic, and the idea of being trapped in there scared him.

On the morning of the second day, Bentley was out checking on one of the simple snares he had set up with some branches. At first, he had thought that the trap had triggered itself and caught nothing. But then he spotted the limp body of a snowshoe hair, with its neck caught in the loop. The rabbit blended perfectly with the snow.

But before he could gather his kill, Bentley heard the sound of snow crunching under numerous pairs of feet. He whipped around to see four tributes stampeding towards him, sending up a mist of fine, white powder. At the sight of so many enemies, his heart nearly stopped. He had been so focused on surviving, he had nearly forgotten that he was being hunted. Bentley didn't hesitate, and bounded for the nearest tree.

The image of the dead rabbit stood out clear in his mind as he shoved his axe in his backpack and scrambled to safety. Now, he was the prey. He went as high as he dared, then glanced down at his pursuers. The largest boy was climbing towards him at an alarming speed. Bentley could see the hilt of a sword sticking out of the backpack he wore.

His mind raced furiously and he strove to climb a little higher, but the branches were thinning and shifting under his weight. Knowing that he would have to turn and fight, Bentley steadied himself and pulled out his axe. Then he started to hack away at a branch that was right above Luke's head. Luke's eyes widened with alarm, but he kept climbing, trying to get to Bentley before he could break it.

He quickly cleared the distance between them, reaching back to pull out his sword. Before he could, Bentley broke through the limb. The branch gave way with a loud creaking sound and went crashing down to the snow-covered ground. Seth grabbed Scarlet and pulled her out of the way. It landed where she had been standing a moment before. The pair just goggled at it.

But Luke hadn't come down with it. He had swiftly maneuvered to the side, and now he was clinging to the trunk. Right underneath Bentley. The younger boy really let him have it, kicking him in the face over and over again. Luke clambered down, trying to get out of his reach. Bentley stayed right on top of him, trying to strike him again and send him tumbling to the ground.

Luke was prepared this time, and caught Bentley's ankle. He tried to yank him off-balance, but Bentley held onto the tree for dear life, nearly dropping his axe in the process. Bravely taking a one-handed hold on a limb, Bentley reached down and took a swipe at Luke with his axe.

The older boy had to let go of the tree to avoid being decapitated. For a moment, he flailed his arms, trying to grasp at his surroundings. Then he fell backwards, plunging towards the ground. Amara let out a short scream.

Luckily for him, the fanned-out branches slowed his fall. He landed heavily on his back, with the wind knocked out of him. For a moment, he lay there, gasping for breath. A small amount of blood seeped out of his nose, from Bentley's pummeling. The other three crowded around him, asking if he was okay. Shaking, he forced himself into a sitting position. After swallowing a few times, he managed to get out, "Amara…shoot…him…"

Suddenly, the bow in Amara's right hand felt a lot heavier. She cast a nervous glance up at Bentley, half-hidden by a wall of pine needles. His eyes were wide with fear. She could feel everyone's gaze on her, waiting for her to do something. Hesitantly, Amara strung an arrow and took aim. But her hands were shaking uncontrollably. The arrow completely missed its target, shooting right past the tree. It touched down somewhere in the snow.

Amara lowered the bow. "Try again." Luke urged her.

"…I can't." She said in a quiet voice.

Luke narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean _you can't_?"

Amara's voice was surprisingly steady as she replied, "I can't kill another human being. I don't care if this is the Hunger Games. It's wrong."

"It's kill or be killed." Luke growled, snatching the bow right out of her hands. Then he took an arrow from her quiver and aimed for Bentley. But he had no skill with this sort of weapon. With a sharp _twang_ the arrow flew in a small arc, missed the tree, and landed in the snow only a few feet away. Amara went to retrieve it.

"Okay, you—" Luke pointed at Scarlet, "Do you think you can get him with your javelin?"

Scarlet just stared at him, looking dumbfounded. "Um…no." She said flatly.

"Why not?" Luke said, feeling more frustrated by the minute.

"I don't want to."

Luke slapped his forehead. "Just what kind of alliance _is _this? You fought well enough last night, when we took on the Careers!"

"If I may…" Seth cleared his throat, "That was merely in self-defense. We were acquiring what was necessary to our survival. As you can perceive, the three of us do embrace the value of life to a certain sentimental extent. That is why we cannot bring ourselves to harm this unfortunate male tribute." He made it sound as if it were completely reasonable. Luke felt like a 5-year old as he explained it to him.

"You don't get it." He tried to say in a controlled voice, "_This _is necessary to your survival. What if it comes down to you and this guy, huh? He'd kill you without a second thought. Then you'd regret everything, because if you had killed him back here, you'd still be alive."

"If I were dead, I would most likely not be able to regret anything, because my train of thought would have ceased." Seth said in a rather smug voice.

Luke had to resist from strangling him.

"Well, I'm bored." Scarlet yawned, "Let's get out of here." She turned and started to walk away. Seth trailed behind her, while Amara hesitated, looking towards Luke.

He was glaring at Bentley. "Next time," He called up to him, "I'll be setting fire to the tree. So you'd better be prepared."

Bentley didn't respond. He watched the four of them trudge away through the snow. Words could not describe his relief. He thought for sure that this would be the end of him. _I guess I'm still a player in this game. _He thought dully.

He waited a long time before leaving the safety of his tree and heading back to his camp. That night, despite his claustrophobia, he forced himself to sleep in the hidden cave.

* * *

The Careers were currently hiding out somewhere on the fire side. The sun was beginning to set, and the air was thankfully growing cooler with each passing hour. But the five of them were tired and hungry. At least Kelsea had been sponsored pain-killing pills that made the swelling go down on her ankle. By the end of the day, she could walk normally. But that didn't do anything for their lack of food and water…it was impossible to find these necessities in this lava-ridden maze of cliffs.

Adrenaline just spewed a constant stream of complaints. She kept whining about the head injury she had received and how she was getting headaches and seeing flashing lights. And she ranted about the same thing over and over again—the tributes stealing the supplies that they had rightfully claimed.

"I'm _starving_." She moaned, for the tenth time that day, "I'll die if I don't get to eat!"

"Well no freakin' way!" Ravish snapped, fed up with her teammate.

But the plan had been set. They were to take back the Cornucopia in the dead of the night, when most of the tributes would be sleeping. But Saffron's mind was working through the details. He decided that they needed to form a plan that would throw the tributes off. So he gathered his alliance together and told them his idea.

"And what did you have in mind?" Ravish questioned, feeling slightly annoyed. She didn't like it when Saffron usurped her position as leader. He always seemed to think he was in charge for one reason or another.

Right now, he was pacing back and forth while dramatically carving his katana through the air. "Those mongrels will rue they day they stole my dignity! We shall cut down every last one of them. We—"

"Saffron…" Zane sighed, "Just get on with it. Please?"

Saffron scowled. "Very well. I believe we should set up an ambush. There is no doubt in my mind that they will have one guard, possibly more. Two of us shall run in from the fire side, drawing their attention. As soon as the alarm goes up, the rest of us shall come storming in from the ice side."

Kelsea looked doubtful. "Why don't we just all storm them at once?" She pointed out, rolling her eyes.

"Because it will throw the half-breeds off their guard—they will expect us to be coming from the fire side. And we will be able to surround them, and kill them before they run."

"Won't they be suspicious that only two Careers are coming for them?"

Saffron paused. "Possibly," He mused, "But Career alliances are easily broken. They might assume we've disbanded."

Kelsea opened her mouth to say something else, but Ravish broke in, "Okay, let's just do it. They have long-ranged weapons anyways so we'll need two fast runners to draw their attack. Kelsea? How's your ankle?"

"Never better." She said curtly. She stretched and it produced a satisfying crack.

"Zane?" Ravish said, looking to him.

"You can count on me." He said kindly, his eyes flickering with excitement.

Adrenaline's stomach gave a loud growl. She was lying sprawled on the ground. "Ugh. Can we go?" She moaned, pulling on her short hair, "I'm _so _bored..."

"Yes, let's." Kelsea agreed, looking a bit more alive than usual.

With that, the Careers gathered up their weapons and moved off, picking their way back towards the temperate zone. Despite the fact that their bellies were empty and their throats were dry, they were more deadly than ever. Their hearts burned with a desire to retake what was rightfully theirs. They would avenge Dominic as well as their dignity.

_No one _messed with Careers. The tribute alliance was about to find this out the hard way.

* * *

Luke and his hunting party had returned earlier than Jarek or Kalin had expected. Luke was in a bad mood and refused to talk about what had happened. But Scarlet spilled the beans anyways and told them how the three of them had refused to kill Bentley. After that, they had followed different set of footprints to dead ends. It had been a highly unsuccessful mission.

Somehow, they expected Kalin's approval—after all, they had gone against Luke's orders. But he didn't react in the way they expected. "Luke had a good point," He told them, "Believe me, I know it's tough to kill another human being. But sometimes you just have to do what you can to survive." Kalin shrugged.

Scarlet protested, "But Luke threatened all of us…!"

Kalin shook his head. "Luke's a good leader. He's just frustrated because we're not the kind of people meant to be led by him."

Amara could see the reasoning behind his statement. "He _is _one of our most valuable team members…" She acknowledged quietly, casting a glance in his direction. "Hey, what's Seth doing?"

Both Luke and Seth were facing away from the group, speaking in low voices. They could see Luke's head bobbing up and down as he agreed with something Seth was saying. "Okay," He spoke in a louder voice, "Good idea." He threw his head back and took a long drink of water. Then he stood up and came towards the rest of his alliance, motioning for Seth to come with him.

"What's up?" Scarlet said lightly as they walked up.

"Seth had a proposal." Luke said, looking towards his teammate to explain.

"I have become conscious of the fact that the Careers may or may not retaliate sooner or later. I believe that, if we cannot defeat them a second time, we must prepare to flee. We shall fill backpacks with the necessary supplies to contribute to our survival, in case this unfortunate circumstance should befall us."

_Seth, you are brilliant! _Scarlet thought inwardly. Now Luke wouldn't get suspicious of them packing their bags. It was the perfect opportunity to do so. _And we can escape in the morning. _She promised herself.

The six of them set to work, sorting through the supplies. They mostly filled the backpacks with food and water, but they stuck in a few other necessities. Scarlet snatched up a gas mask that would come in handy on the fire side, while Jarek located some matches for his own pack.

Eventually, night fell, and with it came the anthem. The tributes peered up at the sky, curious to see who had passed. Dominic's face appeared first.

Amara bit her lip, trying to push away her feelings of guilt. So she had killed him after all. _You were doing what you needed to survive! _She scolded herself.

Then came Tiger-Lilly. Everyone gave a short gasp and turned to look at Kalin. He wasn't even looking at the sky. His eyes were glued to the ground, void of the shock that everyone else felt.

"You knew." Seth murmured. It wasn't a question, but rather a statement.

Kalin gave a brief nod. "I was sponsored a note telling me to give up. I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys sooner…I just didn't want to deal with it…"

"I'm sorry, man." Luke said in a low voice, remembering how he had accused Tiger-Lilly of betraying them.

"Don't worry about it." Kalin mumbled as Tiger-Lilly's face was replaced with Beatriss's. She hovered there for a moment, and then darkness once again enveloped the arena.

"33.3% of the tributes have perished…" Seth said in a somber voice, "Fifteen left to die."

* * *

Unbeknownst to the alliance, the Careers were gathering on the outskirts of the temperate zone. Kelsea and Zane were currently hiding in a small rut while the other three cut through the rock formation so that they could come running in from the ice side. They had exactly thirty minutes to do so. Then Kelsea and Zane would make a break for it.

Zane was currently counting down in his head, his muscles quivering with anticipation. His sword hand yearned to cut through flesh, but he forced himself to wait until the others were situated.

Kelsea was quiet, her blue eyes shining slits in the dark. She stared at the golden horn in the distance, trying to make out how many tributes there were. Suddenly, something caught her eye.

"Someone's going in to steal from them!" She hissed, anticipation edging her voice.

Zane squinted at the dark shape that was making a beeline for the Cornucopia. Whoever it was, they were moving slowly and carefully, for fear of being seen. "What should we do?" He said in a hushed voice, "Should we intercept them?" He quietly calculated the distances between him, the unknown tribute, and the Cornucopia. Before he could come to a conclusion, Kelsea shook her head.

"No, we still have a few minutes to wait. Besides, he or she could distract their guards." Her eyes glittered with pleasure. Things could not be going more perfect for them.

A cruel smile stretched across Zane's face. "…And we can take _them _out too."

"Two birds with one stone." Kelsea murmured, her heart pounding with exhilaration, "Excellent."

* * *

Tonight, Amara was on high alert. She knew they definitely hadn't heard the last of the Careers. With each minute that passed, they were one step closer to meeting them in battle once more. _What if they know I'm the one who killed Dominic? _She thought, terrified, _What if they target me? _

She shoved the thought away, refusing to consider this. But she couldn't still the heart that threatened to burst from her chest. Her breathing came out as loud panting, that sounded deafening in the quiet of the night. She strained her eyes to make out some sort of shape in the darkness. She kept seeing the dark silhouettes of rocks and thinking they were Careers, coming to kill her. But after a minute, they wouldn't move, and she would dismiss the notion.

_Wait, _She thought, freezing up, _that one just moved._

Her right hand tightened on her bow and she quickly snatched up an arrow. She took aim, struggling to make out who it was. _Should I raise the alarm? _She wondered, starting to panic. But as the tribute grew closer, it became clear that he wasn't a Career. And he was by himself.

He seemed so focused on getting to the Cornucopia, he didn't notice Amara standing in its shadow. She practically materialized in from of him, pointing an arrow right at his face. He stopped short, his feet sending up clouds of dust as he skidded to a stop. His eyes darted from her to the Cornucopia, as he tried to figure out the best course of action. A sword glinted in his right hand.

Amara glared at him, trying to recall this boy's name. She thought back to the interview and recognized him as Scarlet's district partner. From what she remembered, he was really rude and arrogant. This made Amara's insides boil.

"Get out of here," She growled in her best threatening voice, "This is _our _Cornucopia!" But her voice cracked pathetically on the last word.

"I'm not leaving without supplies." Emmett said in a calm voice, relaxing his shoulders. He raised his sword in a threatening gesture. He wasn't near enough to strike, but he was well within the range of a bow and arrow.

"Get out of here!" Amara repeated angrily. "Or I'll kill you!"

"No you won't." Emmett responded smoothly, though Amara could sense the slightest bit of doubt behind his words.

She pulled tighter on her bow, ready to send the arrow straight through his brain. "_Try me_." She said in a low, threatening voice.

Emmett took a step back and held his sword a bit higher, as if he thought he could protect himself with it. Amara was trying to summon up all of the courage she could in order to kill this boy. But she could feel her resolve failing.

Before she could make a move, a chilling wail sounded from the other side of the Cornucopia. It was Jarek.

"The Careers are coming!" He shrieked, "Everybody wake up! _They're here!_"

**The British are coming, The British are coming! Hey, nobody died in this chapter! That's a new one.**


	21. Worse than Hell

**Time for yet another new poll! This one is a favorite couples poll, and it includes a few of the lovelies from the 42****nd ****Hunger Games because they never got this sort of poll. You can vote up to 2. And sorry if a couple that you like isn't there, I only included the most legit ones. As for which handsome bachelor you would want to date…here are the results!**

**1****st**** Saffron with 9 votes**

**2****nd**** Kalin with 7 votes**

**3****rd**** Zane, Seth, Luke, and Roam with 4 votes**

**4****th**** Jarek, Bentley, Screw you I'm a straight guy with 2 votes**

**5****th**** Dominic, Hapi, Emmett with 1 vote**

**6****th**** Ivan with 0 votes**

**Saffron won? …What the heck is wrong with you people? Just kidding! I voted for him too /shot/ and Kalin. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist! Honestly though, I wasn't expecting Saffron to win. Maybe it's because he's secretly loyal and chivalrous. Or maybe it's just because he's from a dating game. /shot again/ **

**Okay, enough shooting. I expect you all want to know how the third major fight is going to go down. Let's get to it!**

As soon as Jarek's panicked voice penetrated the night air, Amara took her eyes off Emmett. Taking advantage of this distraction, Emmett darted past her, headed straight for their pile of backpacks. He snatched one up and disappeared into the darkness before the rest of Amara's alliance were even fully aware of themselves.

"Hurry, hurry!" Jarek shrilled urgently as everyone struggled to pick up their weapons. Zane and Kelsea were nearly upon them.

"There are only two of them," Luke said quickly, "Kalin, Amara, Scarlet…take them out."

Kalin and Amara each strung an arrow, but they only had time for one shot—they could not afford to miss. Scarlet, terrified, looked to Seth. His gray eyes shone at her in the dark. "Let's go." He murmured.

Together, the two of them dove for their backpacks. Luke gave an angry shout, but he could do nothing to stop them as Kelsea and Zane bore down upon their camp. Kalin and Amara had missed.

Seth and Scarlet snatched up their escape packs and began to run, headed for the ice side. They were barely five steps away from the Cornucopia when the second wave of Careers came crashing into them.

"Seth!" Scarlet shrieked as Adrenaline plowed into him. He tried to hold up his scythe in defense, but she pinned him to the ground. Scarlet lifted her javelin, preparing to plunge it into Adrenaline's back, but the Career sprang up, hissing like a cat. Ravish moved in to stab Scarlet, but Seth forced himself to his feet with a loud shout. With a mighty swing, he knocked the rapier right out of her hands. She lunged to retrieve it.

Scarlet heaved a javelin at Ravish's retreating figure. As if sensing it coming, the older girl dropped to the ground and performed a forward roll. Then she was back on her feet, with the sword in her hand.

Amara was shakily trying to shoot arrows at Saffron, but he was on the defensive. He deflected them as if they were nothing, slowly coming closer and closer to the poor girl. She felt a thrill of fear. _We were fools to think we could defeat the Careers! _Her mind wailed as Saffron easily dodged another of her arrows.

Kalin and Jarek were fighting side by side against Kelsea, trying to force her back. With Jarek coming too close for comfort and Kalin aiming arrows at her face, she was having a hard time coping. Then Zane came out of nowhere, slamming into Jarek and knocking him to the ground. He plunged his sword downwards, aiming for Jarek's heart.

But the younger boy was quick. He scrambled out of the way, and, lurching to his feet, went sprinting off into the darkness. Luke spotted his retreating form. He looked around and he could see the rest of his alliance was starting to give up the fight. Amara was steadily backing away. Scarlet and Seth were trying to break past their opponents and make a run for it.

Seized by rage, he roared, "Get back here, cowards! This is a fight to the death! If you disobey me, I'll find you and kill you myself!"

In the midst of battle, no one paid any mind to Luke's words. Except for Saffron. His eyes widened dramatically as he caught sight of Luke. Rage flickered in their depths. Suddenly, it was just he and the leader of the tribute alliance. Immune to the fray that seethed around him, Saffron made a beeline for Luke.

Luke turned his head and saw him coming at the last moment. His sword arm rose to block Saffron's furious assault. But he was one second too slow. Saffron's sword scraped right past his own as if it didn't exist and plunged into his chest. A small, victorious smirk weaved its way across Saffron's lips. Luke's face was dull with shock; his eyes glossed over with death.

Saffron wrenched the sword away and Luke slumped to the ground. He triumphantly turned to see the rest of the tributes retreating. Kalin turned and pushed past Kelsea, sprinting to safety. She threw one of her stars, but missed. Amara had also taken the opportunity to escape, while no one was looking.

Scarlet, horrified that the tide had turned so quickly, made a break for it. She pushed right past Adrenaline and Ravish, ignoring the blade of the saw that cut into her arm, and ran for her life. Seth went to follow, but Adrenaline mercilessly threw herself at him, unwilling to let another piece of prey escape her grasp.

Seth could feel the jagged edge of the saw on his throat. He knew this was the end for him. But he looked past his murderers to see Scarlet's retreating figure. Her blonde hair whipped out behind her, standing out like a star among the darkness. Then she was gone—but her lasting image still hovered within Seth's mind.

For some reason, his eyes were watering, a sensation that had not occurred since he was a small child. He closed them, holding back the tears. A wry smile formed on his lips.

"Idiot." He whispered.

With a triumphant screech, Adrenaline drove the saw into his jugular. She forced him to the ground, welcoming the spray of warm blood that coated her arms. Ravish stood by, looking on with mild amusement. Even after his cannon fired, Adrenaline continued mutilating his body, howling with glee all the way.

Kelsea, seeing what was happening, stomped right over. "Hey! Psycho!" She snapped, "It's over."

Adrenaline didn't acknowledge her. She was giggling as she painted red gashes on Seth's pale face. Kelsea reached down and grabbed her arm. With a shriek, Adrenaline whirled around, flailing the saw. Kelsea screamed as it penetrated her flesh. She stumbled a few steps back, pressing her hand to her bloodied forehead.

"You idiot!" She spat, infuriated, "What the hell was that?!"

Adrenaline looked just as angry. "It's your fault for grabbing me!" She retaliated, "I thought I was being attacked!"

"So you took the time to cut up a dead tribute even though you thought there were still attackers around?!" Kelsea snarled.

Zane was opening up one of the packs, coming up with some disinfectant and gauze. "And I was just about to say how we came away with no wounds…" He sighed, feeling more disappointed than he should have. _One of the downfalls of being a perfectionist, I suppose. _He thought, wrapping her wound. "Anyways, it looks like they really picked over the supplies and managed to come away with a few backpacks. But we'll be all right."

Saffron stood by silently, his arms crossed and his head held high. He was looking very smug, an uncharacteristic smile planted on his face.

"What are _you _so happy about?" Kelsea growled, still feeling very angry at Adrenaline, who continued to act like it wasn't her fault.

"I destroyed their leader." Saffron said in a very satisfied tone. He nodded towards Luke's unmoving body.

"Well, congratulations." Kelsea said sarcastically, "You want a medal?"

Before Saffron could respond, Adrenaline let out a loud yawn. "Well, it sure is good to be home! Let's break out some food and get some sleep, why don't we?"

"Sounds good to me!" Ravish said, quite happily sipping at a canister of water. "Well done, everyone. I guess tomorrow we should get back to our usual routine. Maybe try and hunt down the ones that got away."

"Are we going to split up into teams again?" Zane asked.

"No, I don't think so…" Ravish mused, "Which of you wants to be on guard?"

A long silence followed her words. No one volunteered. No one wanted to miss out on the action.

"Adrenaline, you're on guard." Ravish decided.

"What!" Adrenaline shrieked, "No way! That's like, the most boring job in the world!"

"Too bad. We need a guard."

"No!" Adrenaline declared, snatching up her saw and holding it up in a threatening gesture, "I want to go hunting!"

Ravish lifted her eyebrows in disbelief. "Hey, let's not resort to physical violence. We're still on the same side, after all." Adrenaline just scowled at her. She shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Fine. Saffron will be the guard."

"No I will not." Saffron responded in a firm voice, as if he were concluding the argument.

Ravish rolled her eyes. "Well someone's got to do it!"

"I have a suggestion," Zane offered, "The Cornucopia's supplies are dwindling anyways. All of the weapons have been claimed or taken away with dead bodies. How about we just shove the good stuff into backpacks and leave the rest of it here?"

"That works, though it might slow us down." Kelsea pointed out.

"We can always drop them if we need to run. Besides, there're three backpacks and five of us. We can take turns carrying them." Zane said reasonably. He looked to Ravish and she nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good. Now let's get some sleep."

Adrenaline let out a huge cheer. "Aw, yeah! The Careers are back, baby!"

* * *

After escaping the Careers, Scarlet had wound up on the fire side. She had stopped only to patch up her small arm wound. Now she was blindly making her way through a cloud of smoke, choking with sobs, wishing she hadn't looked back. But she had. And now, that image of Seth would forever remain in her mind. His lean body sprawled on the ground, coated with his own blood. The Career girl sitting atop him, murdering him in the most horrible fashion.

Just the thought of it made Scarlet want to wail without abandon. Not wanting to be found, she had to settle for whimpering under her breath. "Seth didn't deserve this." She whispered, and her voice rattled in her throat. The smoke was doing quite a number on her lungs…

_The gas mask! _Scarlet suddenly became aware of the backpack loosely strapped to her shoulders. She quickly opened it up and peered inside. The gas mask was right on top. She pulled it out and secured it onto her face. Breathing instantly became easier.

Before she could close up the bag, she spotted all of the extra food she had packed and the two canisters of water. She had been thinking of Seth the whole time, expecting that she would be sharing all of this with him.

Now, she never would.

Scarlet could feel the tears bunching up at the corner of her eyes. She was grateful that none of the cameras could capture them for the world to see. Nonetheless, she pressed her hands to her face, trying to keep them at bay. She kept seeing Seth lying dead on the ground. He was so naïve, so sweet. He was awkward, but in a cute way. Scarlet had liked him from the moment they met, and he had continued to grow on her. Even when she angrily pushed him away for insulting her, she only did it to see if he would come running after her.

_And he did. _But now, never again.

Scarlet buried her face into her arms and wept freely. Even her mask couldn't hide her grief. She let her emotions flow freely, not caring that the Capitol would see this.

The Capitol. It was _their _fault Seth Strider was dead. Maybe Adrenaline was the one that brought the saw to his throat. But the Capitol had forced her to do it. The Capitol was forcing them all into this treacherous game, where victory was impossible to grasp.

_They see us as mere puppets, _Seth's words rang clear in her mind, _We are new toys that lose their luster after engaging in play for about a month. Then we are thrown away, into a forgotten landfill of memories…_

Seized by a sudden impulse, Scarlet started spitting out profanities. She had never been one to swear, but now she was using up every dirty word in the dictionary. She cursed the Capitol, the Hunger Games, President Snow, and every last citizen that had watched Seth die for their own entertainment.

Even when she had run out of words to use, she still didn't feel any better. Scarlet shakily rose to her feet, slipped on her backpack, and continued on her way.

Barely a minute had passed when something came charging at her from the depths of the smog. It was the size of a small dog, but it was far too ugly to be one. It had a pointed nose and evil little eyes that were barely visible among dark, matted fur. Under its pelt rippled wiry muscles. A short, stubby tail poked out from its hindquarters. Hissing with fury, it came streaking towards Scarlet.

She barely had time to react. The evil little thing launched itself at her leg, baring a set of tiny, needle-sharp teeth. With a shriek, Scarlet leaped away from it, flailing her javelin at it. She knocked it back, but it stubbornly threw itself at her once more. This time, she aimed the point of her spear at it and stabbed it into the monster's back, killing it instantly.

Scarlet paused to observe it, realizing that it looked like some sort of giant rat. Before she could investigate any further, two more came barreling out of nowhere.

Armed with a javelin in each hand, Scarlet bravely met them in battle. It was clear to see that they boasted poor vision, and their only attack consisted of throwing themselves at her and trying to bury their teeth into her skin. But Scarlet was quick and easily dodged their clumsy efforts. It wasn't long before three of the gigantic rodents lay dead at her feet.

A sense of victory welled up from within. She ripped one of the javelins from a rat corpse and held it high over her head. "The Capitol will _never _silence me!" She shouted, her voice slightly muffled by the gas mask. She didn't care who heard her now. She wanted to let the Capitol know that Scarlet Kirkland wouldn't be going down _that _easily.

* * *

After abandoning the Cornucopia, Kalin had followed Jarek into the darkness. He had once again run to the ice side, probably due to its familiarity. It hadn't been hard to locate the young boy's footprints and track him to where he was cowering behind a snow bank.

He let out a small yelp when he saw Kalin and brought back his knife, as if to throw it. Then, when he realized who it was, he relaxed and gave a sigh of relief, "Kalin, thank goodness! I almost chucked my knife at you."

"Where are the others?" Kalin said in a low voice.

"I…I don't know," Jarek confessed, "I ran before the battle had ended. I'm sorry, Kalin."

"It's okay. But just so you know...Luke's dead." Kalin said in a somber tone.

Jarek's eyes widened. "Oh..." was all he could manage to say. His death certainly came as a shock, but Jarek didn't feel the same grief as when they had lost their other teammates. His eyes searched Kalin's face for some sort of reaction, but the older boy was stoic.

"I heard a second cannon, but I don't know if it belonged to Scarlet or Seth. Amara's still out here somewhere."

Jarek could feel his heart fall. "…Well, it was a good plan while it lasted, Kalin."

Kalin shrugged a shoulder. "At least we have supplies and weapons. Speaking of which, where's your backpack?"

Jarek smiled sheepishly. "Umm…it got stolen by the boy from District 9. He came in right before the battle and took it."

Kalin slapped his hand to his forehead. "So why didn't you grab another one?" He said, trying not to sound too exasperated.

"I didn't want to take one of _yours!_" Jarek exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

"Shh!" Kalin quickly silenced him. "Do you hear that?"

The two grew quiet, straining their ears. Footfalls were crunching across the snow. They located the source of the noise and noticed a familiar face emerging out of the darkness.

"It's just me," Amara said in a soft voice, "Jarek, you really need to work on being quieter."

"Sorry." Jarek whispered.

Kalin felt relieved to see a backpack strapped to Amara's shoulders. Her bow was clutched in her right hand too. She was looking at Kalin expectantly, her eyes shining with worry. "Well…what do we do now?"

"Now…we find somewhere safe to stay." Kalin replied, "Come on. We'll look for our remaining member in the morning."

* * *

At the crack of dawn, the Careers awoke, feeling extremely refreshed. Their thirst had been quenched and their bellies were full. In the confines of the Cornucopia, they had slept quite peacefully, knowing that they now outnumbered the other alliance.

The five of them enjoyed a light breakfast, then readied themselves to go hunting. As they set off, Adrenaline decided to get some complaining done.

"Ugh, my head is _killing _me." She whined.

"Shut up, Sugar Rush." Kelsea growled, "You're not the only one with a head injury." She pointed to the bandages sloppily wrapped around her forehead. Adrenaline took one look at them and shut up.

"If your head hurts that bad, you can always go back and be the camp guard." Ravish said lightly. She was carrying one of their three backpacks. They had crammed it so full of supplies that it was obnoxiously heavy. Saffron and Zane were carrying the other two packs, but didn't seem to be having as much trouble as her.

At Ravish's words, Adrenaline shook her head furiously. "Why don't _you _go back and be the camp guard?" She snapped.

Ravish narrowed her eyes, but didn't respond.

As they entered the ice side of the arena, a thin layer of snow started to crunch beneath them. Five sets of footprints were left in their wake.

"Hey…" Zane said, his breath coming out in cool puffs of air, "I think the snow is further in than it was before."

Everyone looked at him curiously.

"What do you mean?" Ravish said blankly.

"I mean that the ice side is expanding. Look." He motioned around them, "Don't you think it's closer to the Cornucopia than it was on Day 1?"

Everyone just kind of shrugged. Saffron was scowling at the ground, as if angered by the very thought of it intruding onto their territory.

Zane frowned. "Yeah, I guess it's not that noticeable."

"OH! OH!" Adrenaline was having a small spaz attack a few yards away. "Look at this! I found footprints!"

The Careers crowded around to get a good look.

"Those puny prints could only belong to one tribute…Angela." Ravish hissed, her voice soaked with glee. "And they're fresh! We've got her now."

"I get to kill her since I found the footprints!" Adrenaline shrilled.

Ravish cast her a sideways glance. "No you don't. Whoever gets to her first gets to kill her."

"No! I called dibs!" Adrenaline said, taking a swipe at Ravish with her dirty, untrimmed nails.

Ravish took a step back, looking angry. "Adrenaline, you seriously need to check up on your attitude! Have you forgotten we're a team? We've got to work together if we're going to get anywhere at all!"

"Feral." Saffron said, eyeing Adrenaline with disgust.

She turned on him. "Excuse me? _What _was that you just called me?"

Saffron crossed his arms defiantly. "You are behaving like some sort of genetic throwback. Cease this foolishness at once, Rush."

"Oh, it's on!"

Adrenaline lunged at him, aiming for the jugular. Zane and Kelsea caught her before she could do any harm. "Adrenaline, stop!" Zane commanded in a powerful voice, "_You _can be the one to kill Angela! Now let's get going before she outdistances us, okay?"

Adrenaline immediately relaxed. "Thank you, Zane." She said curtly, "That's all I wanted to hear." Then she brushed herself off and set off along the trail.

Ravish arched an eyebrow at Zane. "You just have to know the right way to deal with her." He explained in a calm voice, trudging after his district partner.

Ravish hurried to catch up and place herself at the front of the pack. Saffron and Kelsea brought up the rear. As they forged on through the snow, tension filled the air. Zane realized with a heavy heart that, without the large tribute alliance as a common enemy, their alliance was doomed to fall apart. Already, Adrenaline was becoming rebellious and it was plain to see that the others would have loved to silence her.

Zane looked at each of his allies in turn, wondering whom he could trust.

About half an hour later, they came upon a sloping ridge dotted with trees. The tiny footprints made a winding trail through the forest, headed up the slope. At the top, standing directly in the center of a large gap of trees, was Angela herself.

"Hey!" She called cheerfully, "It's about time! I was waiting _forever _for you guys to show yourself!"

"Let's get her!" Ravish exclaimed, her eyes brimming with excitement. She threw down her backpack and began plowing through the deep snow, right up the steepest part of the hill. The others followed.

"Oh no!" Angela started screaming in a high-pitched, earsplitting voice, "The Careers are coming to kill me! Someone help!" She started leaping up and down, kicking up snow. Something whizzed past Ravish's ear, and she realized that the little girl was chucking snowballs at them too. _You've gotta be kidding me._

"You're going to pay for being such a brat!" Ravish shrieked. She was halfway up the steep slope, and Angela hadn't moved. Ravish's feet kept slipping out from under her, but adrenaline was pumping through her veins, forcing her to keep going. She was highly aware of her allies a few yards back, but Angela was as good as hers.

"No way, freak!" Angela screamed back, "_You're _the one who's going to pay!"

Angela was nearly within arm's reach when a deep rumbling shook the ground beneath them. It was as if someone had yanked a carpet right out from under her feet. Ravish hit the ground hard, screaming with terror as a massive amount of snow sent her crashing down the side of the mountain. The rest of the Careers scattered, trying to leap out of the path of the avalanche and get to the nearest tree.

Angela prowled along the ridge, feeling elated as she watched a number of her enemies get swept away by the snow. It had been a huge gamble, but it had been worth it. The Careers had fallen right into her trap. While she stood in a safe zone on the ridge, they had come barreling straight up the unstable slope. Their screaming had only contributed to their demise.

The snow thundered down the slope and came to rest at the bottom, spreading out in a powdery white wave. Angela watched approvingly as it settled, packing itself back into place. She couldn't spot a single Career.

She threw her head back and laughed jubilantly. Then she turned and escaped in the other direction, pleased with her work.

As soon as she was gone, Saffron emerged from the snow. He shook the flurries from his blonde hair, his ice blue eyes burning with rage. He caught sight of Kelsea and Adrenaline clambering down from their perches in the trees. Saffron glanced to his left and could see someone's fingertips poking out of the snow, twitching.

Jumping into action, Saffron quickly forced his way through the snow towards his buried teammate. He scraped at the snow until he had uncovered his ally's hand and arm. Then, with a great heave, he pulled Zane out of the snow. The poor boy's chest heaved as he fought for air.

"Thanks, Saffron." He choked out, coughing up a mouthful of snow.

Adrenaline and Kelsea came over, looking fairly shaken. Saffron turned to face them, his eyes searching. "Where is Blackwell?" He said sharply. There was no sign of her.

"…I guess she's dead." Kelsea said in a flat voice.

"No…cannon…yet…" Zane said between labored breathing.

"Start digging!" Saffron snapped. He turned to the enormous pile of snow and started raking at it with his bare hands.

Adrenaline's face was filled with panic. "I almost died!" She said in a shrill voice, "I almost died! And now Ravish is dead. A 12-year old killed Ravish!" She was clutching at her short hair, pulling it until it hurt.

"Rush, pull yourself together!" Saffron ordered, "I have no use for subordinates who lose hold of their sanity! Now do as I say!" He paused to cast a glare at the rest of his alliance.

They started digging alongside him, feeling that this was a hopeless case. Ten minutes passed and they came up with nothing. One by one, they stopped digging, until only Saffron was the only one left. His breaths came out in ragged panting. Despite the cold temperature, sweat shone on his forehead. His hands were stark white as they scraped away uselessly at the snow.

"Saffron…" Zane said in a soft voice, "I think she's gone."

Saffron ignored him, steadily working away at the snow.

"No one will blame you if you give up."

"I refuse!" Saffron snapped, "Blackwell is apart of this alliance. If you were in her position, would you wish me to give up in the very fashion you're suggesting?"

Zane didn't respond. The answer to that was clear.

But right as his resolve was about to fail, Saffron's hand brushed Ravish's cold face. He scraped away at the snow some more, working his arms under her body. Once he had a good grip, he pulled Ravish from her icy tomb. At the sight of her, the other three sprang to her feet, looking surprised.

"You found her!" Adrenaline exclaimed, in awe.

"…I fear I was too late." Saffron murmured, laying Ravish on firmer ground.

Her eyes were closed and her face had turned blue in color. She was soaked to the skin, her long, wet hair clinging to her body. She was not breathing.

"There might still be a chance to save her," Kelsea offered, "Any of you know CPR?"

Everyone just stared at her, uncomprehending.

Kelsea sighed. "Fine. I guess it's up to me." She placed her hands on Ravish's chest and began pumping up and down, trying to bring her heart back to life. She breathed air back into her lungs while the others looked on inquisitively.

This went on for a few minutes. Kelsea quickly grew tired. Just when she seemed that she was about to give up, Ravish gave a great gasp and reentered the world. Her eyes fluttered open and she tried to focus them on the four other Careers, anxiously peering down at her. "Is this hell?" She croaked.

"Worse." Kelsea said in a flat voice, "We're still in the arena."

Ravish tried to groan, but it came out as a pathetic whimper. She felt chilled to the bone. Her limbs were shaking uncontrollably. Never in her life had she felt so miserable. "New idea," She said weakly, "I'll be camp guard."

Zane reached down and helped her to her feet. She leaned on him heavily, her teeth chattering.

"You look awful." Adrenaline commented.

"_Thanks_." Ravish hissed, mustering up the strength to shoot a glare at her ally.

"Kelsea performed CPR and saved your life," Zane explained, as they shakily walked down the hill, "I've never seen anything like it."

"Thanks, Kels." Ravish rasped.

"Don't thank me." Kelsea said in a bored voice, "Thank Saffron."

Ravish looked quizzically at her district partner. He was scowling at the ridge, probably wondering where Angela had gotten.

"He dug you out." Zane said, frowning at Saffron, who seemed to have departed the conversation.

"Thanks." Ravish repeated, looking to him this time. He ignored her, still scanning the mountainside for Angela. Ravish bit back a few angry words that she didn't have the strength to say anyways. Instead, she allowed Zane to lead her back to camp. The other three stayed to try and dig out their buried backpacks.

As she went, the moments surrounding the avalanche came back to her. Right before it had crushed her under its weight, she had protectively thrown her arms over her face. Once encased in the snow, she had managed to secure a small pocket of air to breathe. She could hear the others speaking, and she tried to scream for help, but her voice hadn't been able to penetrate her thick insulation.

She had quickly grown panicked, her breathing coming out in short gasps that quickly ate away at her air supply. But through the snow, she could hear the muffled voices of her alliance. She could hear Saffron snapping at everyone to start digging.

And then, her world had faded around her. She accepted her death with grace, knowing full well that she had tried her best. She was a true Hunger Games competitor, and would be remembered for the spectacular show she had provided the Capitol.

The next thing she knew, she was awake, sucking in the cool, crisp air of the arena. The faces of her alliance were looking down on her, and she seriously believed that they had all died and gone to hell together.

But she hadn't died after all. She had been given another chance.

These Games were far from over.

* * *

As night fell, Bentley was erasing the signs of his camp's existence. He did this every night, careful not to leave out any supplies, although he couldn't do anything about the number of footprints. He was wondering whether or not to sleep in the cave again, when he heard a deep, guttural growling.

Bentley could feel dread seep into his stomach as he realized that no human could produce such a sound. Without wasting a second, he ran to his cave and ducked inside. Fighting against the possibility of discovery, he burrowed into the snow, heaping it on top of him until he was completely covered.

As he did so, he could sense whatever-it-was drawing closer. Heavy footfalls crunched loudly on the snow. He could hear a fierce snorting sound, as if the beast had picked up his scent. Bentley froze up, holding his breath. The beast was right outside his cave, only a few feet from where he was hiding.

He could hear its heavy breathing. It stood there for a full minute, and the world became enveloped in silence. It was listening for tributes. But Bentley dared not make a sound.

After what seemed like hours, the unknown monster gave a short, frustrated growl, and tromped off in another direction. Bentley gave a few shaky breaths, but he was far too terrified to emerge from his snow cover.

His mind, blank with fear, just kept repeating the same phrase over and over. _What the hell WAS that? _

**RIP Luke and Seth.**

**Luke: Interesting tidbit about this guy. His profile had him as a planner, a good right hand man, and willing to sacrifice. Also, climbs machines for fun. But then I said SCREW IT this dude is gonna be an instigator. The only interesting thing about him was that his creator said he was sort of a ninja, but Kelsea and Hapi put him to shame in that department without even trying. So I kind of twisted his personality to make him more interesting. Sorry. (Not really)**

**Seth: Aajdkhlgalkgjd SETH! ;_; I was SO SAD to kill this guy. At first I was like, "Hm, his profile is okay," but as soon as he came to life in the first chapter, he snatched up a spot on my favorites list. He was so fun to write and his awkwardness was so charming. I'm sorry he went early, but it fit perfectly with his preference for death. /sniff/ I'll miss you Seth, you little speed demon, you. I'm sure there are lots of gummy worms in heaven.**


	22. Scars

**300 reviews! :) My sister and I bought gummy worms in honor of Seth.  
**

**Anyways, here's a message from Beatriss's creator who needs to get in touch with an anon...**

"Hey guys! I'm the author of Sanguinem: the 68th Hunger Games, and an anonymous reviewer dropped in saying they were going to submit a form, but the spot was filled now so they couldn't. Well, that was actually a mistake ... the spot is still open! I've erased that name from the list now - long story short, that character isn't actually in the story. So could you please submit a character? I need him or I can't update! And I know you read this story, so people who don't know what I'm on about, it's all g. Hehe. - xXjaziXx"

**Oh and I meant to say something about the rat mutts. Apparently they discovered a ginormous rat living in a volcano, so that's what inspired these little freaks. Only I didn't think rats were interesting enough, so I made them into shrews! Shrews are nasty little things, they hiss at you and their saliva is actually poisonous (suck on that, platypus!) and if they bite you, you will swell up big time.**

**On a side note, I had to catch mice for a science project and I wound up catching two shrews and accidentally killing them both. God forbid they ever get as big as this and seek revenge…**

"Wow, Kalin! You shot it right in the eye!" Jarek fawned over Kalin's catch of the day, his eyes glowing with praise.

"Heh. Lucky shot, I guess." Kalin chuckled, looking fondly at the dead rabbit in his hands. They were all right on food supplies, but Kalin had shot it anyways. It had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Too bad we don't have anything to cook it with…" He mumbled as they entered the cave they had managed to locate. It was getting late and they were ready to get some sleep. He felt half-frozen to death in his thin jacket.

Amara was already inside the cave, curled up in their only sleeping bag. Her eyes opened as they walked in. "Hey." She greeted, "I can't sleep. I keep wondering where Scarlet is."

They had seen Luke and Seth appear in the sky that night. They had mourned Seth—he had been a valuable teammate and a good friend. He would be missed. But this meant that Scarlet was still out there somewhere…and they would do their best to find her in the following day.

Amara got out of the sleeping bag, looking at the dead rabbit in Kalin's hand. "Aww! You killed a bunny?"

Kalin snorted, "Yeah, well you killed a…never mind."

Amara tilted her head. "We don't even have any matches to cook it…" She sighed wistfully.

"I brought it for interior decorating purposes." Kalin said as seriously as he could, "Should we hang it on the wall or put it next to the welcome mat?"

Jarek arched an eyebrow. "You're making another joke, aren't you?" He said uncertainly.

"You're sharp as a tack, Jarek." Kalin laughed, patting the smaller boy on the head. "Anyways, one of you guys can have the sleeping bag. I don't mind sleeping on the ground." Kalin burrowed into the snow. But as soon as he did so, he started shivering.

Amara frowned. "Are you sure…?"

"I'm fine." Kalin tried to force a smile, but his teeth were chattering, "I'm just not used to the cold, being from District 11 and all. Don't worry about me."

"If you say so." Amara said hesitantly.

Kalin closed his eyes, cutting off the rest of the conversation. Eventually, his breathing slowed. But even in his sleep, he continued to shiver. Amara watched as his skin turned pale.

"He's going to get frostbite," She said in a worried voice, turning to Jarek, "Can't you build a fire?"

Jarek just stared at her like a deer caught in headlights. "Me?" He said, at a loss.

Amara blinked at him. "Um, yeah. Who else?"

"Uhh…okay. But I don't think we can find any dry tools around here…and I know there's a way to make fire from ice, but we need the sun for that…" He bit his lip, realizing that it sounded like he was making excuses.

Amara's eyes shone with concern for Kalin. Without waking him, she tried to wrap the sleeping bag around his body, but that didn't seemed to do anything at all.

"If only I hadn't lost those matches _twice_!" Jarek wailed quite unexpectedly.

Amara slapped a hand over his mouth. "Shush! What did I tell you about being quieter?! You want someone to find us here?"

Jarek quickly whispered an apology, but Kalin had woken up. His eyes were dim and his nose was running. He let out a small moan. "Ugh…maybe we should have gone to the fire side…" He said, violent shivers racking his body.

"It's okay, Kalin! Just get up and move around a bit and you'll be fine!" Jarek leapt to his feet and demonstrated, "Like this!"

But Kalin had closed his eyes once more. He wasn't looking good at all. _How could he have gone downhill so quickly? _Amara took his hands in her own and tried to warm them to the best of her ability. They felt so cold, as if he had died in his sleep. She pushed this unwanted thought away, trying to focus on keeping him warm.

Jarek watched, feeling miserable. If he hadn't lost those matches, he would be able to keep everyone warm. If Kalin froze to death, it would be his entire fault. Not wanting to watch his leader suffer any longer, Jarek stepped outside to keep guard.

He stayed out there for a long time, wondering how long it took someone to freeze to death. He made sure to keep moving so that his specially-designed outfit would warm him up. He wished Kalin would just get up and do the same.

A little while passed, and Jarek fought the urge to go into the cave. When he was about to give in and check up on his friends, something clonked him on the head. He gave a start and saw a parachute, trying to force its way past him and into the cave. He watched it float inside and nestle itself in the crook of Kalin's arm. A large smile spread across Amara's face and she looked to Jarek.

He sprang forward and opened it up. Inside, there were matches. Gasping, Jarek snatched them up and sprinted from the cave. A minute later, he came back with some bark and twigs. He piled them in the center of the cave, lit a match, and started a small fire.

"I DID IT!" He cried out. Kalin woke up groggily. But as soon as he saw the fire, he looked pleasantly surprised.

"Whoa, Jarek! Way to go." Kalin said, holding his hands out to absorb the heat.

"I…I was actually…u-useful!" Jarek sniffled, tears running down his face.

Kalin and Amara exchanged a glance.

"Jarek, don't say that! You're always useful!" Amara said firmly. She didn't bother pointing out the fact he had merely lit a match rather than building the fire himself.

"Right." Kalin added.

Jarek shook his head, but he was smiling through his tears. "Don't spoil this moment for me guys. Just let me enjoy it…"

Kalin arched an eyebrow. Amara reached out and patted Jarek on the back. Then the three of them gathered around his fire and warmed their hands by it.

* * *

Nighttime fell and the Careers were curled up in their last two sleeping bags. They had only managed to uncover two backpacks, which was a disappointment. Fewer supplies meant more fights. But the day ended without any major hassles.

Kelsea was on guard duty. Zane had his own sleeping bag while Ravish and Adrenaline shared the other. Saffron had opted to sleep on the ground, so as not to contract mongrel germs, most likely.

But Ravish was having a very hard time falling asleep. Adrenaline, who had passed out almost immediately, kept flailing about, pummeling Ravish with her fists and kicking her in the stomach. It was as if she thought she was fighting another tribute. Ravish rolled onto her side, fuming, trying to ignore the pounding on her back.

She stood this for about ten more minutes, then angrily wormed her way out of the sleeping bag. As soon as she was out, Adrenaline fell still. _Of course. _Ravish growled inwardly, eyeing her teammate with displeasure.

As the days passed by, Adrenaline was getting more and more out of control. Ravish recalled everything that had happened until now. Adrenaline was always lashing out at everyone. She refused to serve as camp guard, and resorted to threats when things didn't go her way. She constantly complained about her head injury, and didn't seem to realize that things could be _much _worse for her.

_Well, is this the Hunger Games or isn't it? _Ravish thought smugly.

Moving stealthily, she crept over to each of the boys and gently nudged them awake. Zane's eyes were round with curiosity as she told them to meet her on the other side of the Cornucopia and be sneaky about it. Saffron couldn't have looked grumpier if he tried. But both of them quietly got up and followed her to where Kelsea was standing guard.

If she was surprised at their sudden appearance, she didn't show it. "What?" She yawned, looking positively uninterested.

Ravish took a deep breath and cut straight to the point. "I think we should kill Adrenaline."

Suddenly, everyone looked wide awake. Kelsea's eyes glinted with excitement. "About time." She breathed, sounding slightly annoyed. But her face betrayed how pleased she was.

Ravish smirked. "You think so too?"

Kelsea nodded vigorously. "Of course. I have her to thank for this." She said, angrily pointing at her forehead.

"Great. So we'll take a vote," Ravish declared, confident that they would all be in favor of killing their crazed ally. "Saffron? What do you say?"

Saffron appeared to be deep in thought as he considered this idea. "Well, on one hand, she is very useful and does a lot of dirty work…but on the other hand…she's a mongrel." He grimaced in disgust.

"So is that a yes or a no?" Kelsea said, rolling her eyes.

Before Saffron could answer, Zane said quietly, "My vote is no."

No one challenged him or asked his reasoning behind it. They just assumed it was because he felt a certain loyalty to his district partner—and if they killed her, it would lessen District 2's chances of victory. But that was not it at all. Zane was thinking ahead. He knew that Adrenaline's death would lead to trust issues, disbandment, and maybe even death. And no matter what, he didn't want to die.

"I have a proposal," Saffron spoke up, "What say we try talking to her in the morning. We tell her she's behaving like a half-blooded feral and if she reacts poorly, we slay her."

"Um…well, I would probably use different words to describe it, but fine. We'll talk to her. In fact, since it was your idea, _you _get to be the one to do it." Ravish decided.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Zane said hesitantly.

"Nonsense," Saffron scowled, "My plan is most satisfactory."

"Not yours…" Zane mumbled, "I meant Ravish's plan to have _you_ talk to her."

Saffron narrowed his eyes and arched an eyebrow. "…Explain."

"Okay," Zane sighed, "What I'm saying is, don't try to provoke her. Don't come down on her screaming, 'Mongrel!' or else she'll react badly. Okay?"

"I shall handle it with class." Saffron promised.

Kelsea snorted, "Sure you will."

With their plan set to take place in the morning, the Careers headed back to their sleeping bags. As Ravish tried to squirm back inside her own, without waking Adrenaline, she wondered if this was the girl's last night alive.

_You'll be the one deciding your own fate tomorrow… _Ravish thought, closing her eyes.

* * *

After failing to kill a single Career, Angela had left the avalanche zone far behind. She was still upset with herself for merely provoking them further, rather than actually killing them. At least she had managed to recover yet another backpack, after digging it out of the snow. She was doing quite well on supplies.

After walking for a long time, she found a narrow pass between two cliffs and decided to stay there for the night. With the aid of the walls on either side of her, she was able to pack together a small igloo to keep the wind out. Then she curled up in a warm fur coat and fell asleep next to a tiny, smoldering fire.

When she woke up, the fire was out and the arena was pitch black. She sat there for a few minutes, trying to adjust her eyes. For some reason, she felt wide awake and on edge. Something was wrong.

Shivering, she burrowed deeper into her parka. She sat there for a long time, straining her ears to pick up some sort of sound. But the only thing she could hear was the ominous howl of the wind through the cliffs. The longer she stayed awake, the colder she felt.

_I need to get out of here. _Angela decided, crawling out of her makeshift igloo. She slipped the parka on and crept through the narrow passage, still listening for signs of life. Before stepping out into the opening, she paused. Something on the ground had caught her attention.

It was a set of very large footprints. Her first thought was one of pride—a large tribute had walked right by her camp and hadn't even noticed her! But then she noticed something very peculiar about this set of footprints…

_Why were they walking through the snow barefoot? _She crouched down for a closer look, _And whose feet even grow this big in the first place?! _

Upon closer inspection, she realized that the tracks were not human. At first glance, they sure looked the part. But it was too big, and the toe jutted out from the rest of the foot, making it look mutilated. Angela could also see a tiny set of indentures in front of each toe. Whatever this thing was, it had a nasty set of claws.

Part of Angela wanted to run back into her igloo and hide there the rest of the night, cowering in fear. The other part wanted to get a look at the monster that had left these behind. And that's exactly what she did. Armed with only a knife and her jacket, she set off on the trail of footprints.

Snow was falling lightly, adding to this arena's poor visibility. But Angela kept her eyes peeled for any sign of movement, keeping right on top of these strange tracks. They marched straight through the arena. Whatever this thing was, it obviously didn't care if it was seen out in the open. Angela started trying to piece together an image in her mind. She was so focused on what it might look like, that she didn't even spot it right away.

Only when it threw its head back and gave a loud roar did she spring back to her senses and dive for cover. She crouched behind a large, snow-covered rock, desperately praying that she had not been seen. A minute passed, and nothing happened.

She took a deep breath and, summoning every last bit of courage, peeked out from her hiding spot. Dread gripped her heart, making her feel colder than she already was. A large, hulking figure was standing in the show, facing away from her. It had to be at least ten feet tall, and was coated in a layer of shaggy white fur. It looked almost humanoid, but Angela knew that this was a horrendous muttation created by the Capitol.

She wished she could get a look at its face, but the arena was too dark to make out all of its features. She leaned forward slightly on her feet, trying to get a better look.

Suddenly, the monster whipped around and she could see two yellow pinpoints of light shining in the gloom. Angela ducked back down, squeezing her eyes shut. She had an uncontrollable urge to just take off in the opposite direction, screaming her head off. But she forced herself to lie low. This…_thing _could tear her limb from limb if it found her.

Angela waited a few more minutes before going to check on it once more. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized that it was gone. She whipped her head around, half expecting it to be standing behind her.

But then she spotted it—nearly perfectly camouflaged in the snow—lumbering away from her. She waited until it was completely out of sight before sprinting back the way she had come.

She practically collapsed inside her igloo, giving a great sigh of relief. _Thank goodness! _She thought, _I don't even know what that was, and I don't want to know. Maybe I should consider switching to the fire side. _

But she acknowledged how safe she was, hidden between these two cliffs. If the beast came after her, it would have a hard time squeezing in here with those broad shoulders. So she settled down, telling herself over and over that she was safe here. She would live to see another day.

Angela fell asleep, holding that thought close.

* * *

Adrenaline, as usual, was the last one to rise that morning. She took her time waking up, allowing herself a few luxurious stretches. Then she got to work rubbing away at her eyes, trying to clear them up. When she opened them, she saw Saffron standing over her, looking down at her with distaste. For some reason, he was holding his sword.

"Hey handsome…" She said in her best seductive voice, "You don't have to stand there like that…there's enough room for two." She rolled over, trying to make an opening for him.

Saffron looked as if he wanted to puke. "Cease your flirtations, you filthy…!" He cast a glance back at the rest of his alliance. They were gathered around breakfast, looking at him with wide eyes and shaking their heads.

"You…filthy…sleeping bag." Saffron finished lamely.

Adrenaline squinted at him, looking confused. "Huh?"

"This sleeping bag is not suited to my tastes!" Saffron declared heatedly, "So I will not be joining you within its confines. Moving on, there is a matter that we must address…"

Adrenaline yawned, "That sounds boring."

Everyone could see Saffron was losing his patience already. "We shouldn't have made him do it…he can't go a second without insulting someone. They're just going to tick each other off." Zane mumbled.

"_You _could always switch in for him," Ravish whispered, "Since you always seem to know how to handle her…"

Zane gave a humorless laugh. "No way. Besides, she's got her saw within arm's reach."

"Well, we're prepared too." Kelsea pointed out. And it was true. Despite the front that they were eating breakfast, their hands were all lightly resting on their weapons. They were ready to spring into action at any given moment.

"Fine! Smother in that sleeping bag for all I care. I will say what I came to…" Saffron cleared his throat and announced, "Rush, it has come to our attention that you are exceedingly insufferable. We can no longer tolerate it. We require a change in attitude on your part. If you refuse, then we have no choice, but to…to…"

As soon as Saffron began his speech, Adrenaline had crept out of her sleeping bag, picking up her saw as she went. She came towards him with slow, menacing steps. Before he could finish, she was right in his face, glaring up at him. The others rose to their feet and flanked out on either side of Saffron, weapons at the ready.

Adrenaline's eyes darted from side to side as she comprehended what was happening. But it only angered her further.

"You're cowards!" She spat, "You want to kill me because you know I have what it takes to win! You know you can't take me on by yourself so you're all ganging up on me! WELL I'LL SHOW YOU!"

She raised her saw. Just as she did so, the four Careers converged onto her like a pack of wolves. They surrounded her, stabbing and cutting at her with their blades. She gave an unearthly scream, filled with pain and fury as they forced her to the ground. It was over in a few seconds.

They stepped back from the bloodied corpse that was once Adrenaline Rush. Her body was streaked with red gashes. The cannon boomed, announcing her death.

For some reason, Zane felt a sense of déjà vu steal over him. Then it hit him. With her black jumpsuit, she looked a lot like she had when she had appeared onstage for her interview. Covered in fake blood and scars, trying to get the audience hyped up, screeching how she would win it all.

Zane looked away, wishing things had turned out differently. But then he shook his head, telling himself, _Just forget it. I'll carry all of District 2's hopes on my own shoulders.  
_

* * *

Hapi had been following the girl with the gas mask for quite a while. For the past hour, he had been creeping along on the cliff above her, making sure to stay one step ahead of her.

As soon as he saw her, he knew he needed to kill her. The smoke on the fire side was constantly grating on his lungs, and he had developed a cough that refused to go away. The gas mask was exactly what he needed. So he had taken to stalking her, lurking in the shadows and behind rocks. All the while, he fingered one of the knives in his vest, trying to find the perfect angle.

Scarlet was blissfully unaware of his presence, walking quickly in the shadows of a cliff. At some point, she stopped for a water break, sitting down and taking off her backpack. Hapi's heart leapt as he realized that this was his chance. He hurried on ahead and located a spot that he could easily climb down. Once on level ground with her, he quickly squeezed himself between two rocks, keeping his head low in the shadows. He flicked out a knife and waited.

A few minutes passed. Then came the scraping sound of her feet. Hapi tensed every muscle in his body, preparing to throw the knife.

Scarlet stepped into view—he brought back his arm…

FWWSSSHHHHH!

The ground shook as a geyser burst forth, right where Scarlet was standing. She shrieked as the boiling water scalded her skin, leaving burning blisters.

Hapi, paralyzed on the spot, watched Scarlet struggle to get clear of the geyser. But as she took a step, the entire ground collapsed underneath her. She plunged feet first into a boiling pool of water. Her screams doubled in intensity as she attempted to pull herself out.

Hapi could see every red welt on her body with terrifying clarity. Already, her blistered skin was peeling off as she scraped uselessly at the unstable crust around her. She struggled futilely for a few seconds. And then—she was gone.

Her screams were abruptly cut short as she disappeared under. The geyser steamed for another minute, and then it dissolved. The world grew silent, except for the soft gurgling of the spring. The spring that had just swallowed a human being alive.

And then, a cannon fired.

Hapi was shaking uncontrollably. His knife lay discarded on the ground, where he had dropped it. He didn't bother to pick it up. Instead, he curled into a fetal position, wrapping his arms around his legs and holding them close. He rocked steadily back and forth, his eyes glued to the spring.

Despite his presence, the hovercraft reached down its claw and dipped it low into the pool. The smoldering mass of flesh it pulled out didn't even resemble Scarlet. Third degree burns covered every part of her body, an unsettling mixture of red, black, and yellow.

Hapi had to tear his gaze away. It was disgusting.

The sound of the hovercraft faded, once again leaving him in silence. Hapi held his face in both hands, his eyes wide and unseeing. His face broke out into a large grin.

"Heheheh…heh…"

His attempt at laughter broke off into a round of sobbing. He clutched at his head and resumed rocking back in forth, crying freely as he did so.

**RIP Adrenaline and Scarlet**

**Adrenaline: I freakin' loved this psycho chick! She was another fun one to write for and I'm sure you guys agree that she had her share of hilarious moments. I'm gonna miss her. Her death reminded me of something sad I saw on TV once where wolves surrounded a coyote and completely tore it apart, but you couldn't even see the coyote. I imagine the Capitol cameras basically saw the same thing. Another interesting fact…last year's D2 girl turned on everyone else. This year, everyone else turned on the D2 girl.**

**Scarlet: Poor Scarlet. Yet another likeable character that had to suffer an excruciating death. Hers was meant to be one of those shocking, out-of-nowhere deaths too, so I hope you weren't totally expecting it. At least she didn't have to be apart from Seth for so long…**

**I hope you guys are Hapi fans because he gets a flashback in the next chapter. Fun stuff!**

One last thing, Finnick (my psycho kitten) smashed his paws into the keyboard at one point, but I have no idea where the cursor was or if it was even on the page but if there's a random ghjaksguaifjo anywhere, tell me. Which reminds me in a Seth x Scarlet scene one time he stomped out sx and I was like "Finnick, are you trying to imply something?"  



	23. Keeping the Faith

**This chapter's a bit on the short side. Sorry I'm rushing with the updates, I hope it's not affecting the quality of the story too much. **

**Also I had an idea for another story (not a SYOT, mind you) called 42nd/43rd Hunger Games Outtakes. It would include Hip's Reaping and a few other funny scenarios that are kind of like AUs. I only have a few for it so far and I'm not gonna write it until this is over with. What do you guys think? You could always submit ideas for it too, but it's not gonna be a, "What if THIS character won?" kinda thing, I want it to be funny. Ah, heck, you'll get to see it eventually. On with the story!  
**

"_Hapi?"_

_Hapi emitted a small cough in response._

"_Honey, you don't look well."_

_A warm hand pressed against his forehead. He looked at his mother with streaming eyes, but he was having a hard time making out her face. He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but only succeeded in breaking out into another bout of coughing. The factory smog was making his nose run and clogging up his airways. His breathing came out in a rattled wheeze. _

"_Why don't you go home? I'll cover your shift…"_

_Hapi croaked a small thank-you. He was only too grateful to escape the confines of the textile factory. He quickly got his things together and left, saying a quick goodbye to his mother. _

_It happened no more than a minute later. An explosion shook the ground under his feet. He turned around and could see smoke rising from the large building. Fire licked at the edges of windows. He just stood there, watching the dark cloud billow up into the sky, staining it black._

_Panicked voices filled his ears. Brave men were rushing past him, into the building, as workers came flooding out. He could see others being carried, their faces covered in burns. A stranger grabbed his shoulders, shouting, "Run! It's not safe here!" and then took off. Another explosion sounded from within the factory. Breaking out of his state of paralysis, Hapi went running through the crowd of nameless faces, screaming for his mother. _

_"Mom! Mom, where are you?!"  
_

_Someone grabbed him and started hauling him away from the factory. He squirmed in their grip, but he couldn't free himself. His eyes filled with tears, fear numbing his mind as the black cloud overtook everything…_

Hapi shook his head, trying to blot these images from his mind. But he couldn't keep them away for long. No matter how hard he tried, he could picture his mother perfectly in his mind. Her once-flawless skin scarred with multiple burns. Her face nearly unrecognizable.

And the doctors telling him that she might never wake up. One of them had brought up taking her off life support, it was so hopeless a situation. Hapi's father had screamed at the doctors until they left the room. Then he and his dad had poured every last ounce of money into keeping Keata alive. They even sold their house and moved into a smaller one.

_Have faith. _His mother always said. But one day, his father lost his faith. He just up and left. Left behind his comatose wife, and a 14-year old son who still needed him desperately. Hapi's heart burned with rage as he remembered this. But then Scarlet's image flashed in his mind, haunting him. Her burns had resurfaced all of these old memories.

Hapi pushed on his temples, as if he could squeeze these thoughts right out of his mind. Of course, he couldn't. He gave a light laugh at the thought of it, but it didn't make him feel any better. So he decided to leave this place. It wasn't safe to camp out in one spot for too long. Besides, focusing on survival was a good way to take one's mind off unwanted thoughts.

* * *

Hera had run out of food two days ago. She was desperately hungry, and had a constant headache. She spent her days crossing over to the ice side to eat snow, then coming back to the fire side. She had found an extremely narrow cave to hide in, in place of her small overhang. The fact that she could squeeze into it surprised her. She had already lost a lot of weight.

One the fourth day, she was walking back to camp with a canister full of snow. A lizard scurried by, but she didn't give it a second glance. She had already tried to capture them, and they were too quick for her.

Suddenly, Hera stumbled. She hit the ground hard and just lay there, trying to gather what strength she had left to get back up. But she was just too tired. _I'm so hungry… _She thought for the hundredth time. _Am I going to die? I never thought I'd die like this._

Hera closed her eyes. Sweat was trickling down her face, but she didn't bother to wipe it away. She lay there for a long time, in a hunger-induced haze. Then, something gently touched her arm. She lifted her head, despite the fact that it felt like it was filled with lead. A parachute had landed on the ground beside her.

Curiosity won out over weakness, and she forced herself to open it. Inside was a chocolate cake with rich, white frosting. The perimeter was lined with red sugar roses. At the center was a cherry that looked impossibly fresh. Hera could feel tears bunching in the corners of her eyes.

"Thank you." She whispered, swiping the tip of her finger on the icing. She popped it into her mouth and welcomed the sweet taste.

Knowing that she couldn't afford to stay out in the open, she forced herself to her feet and took the parachute in her hands. She hurried as fast as she could back to her small cave. But just as she rounded a corner, she ran into a familiar face.

"Hapi!" She gasped, reeling backwards.

He looked so different. His face was covered in a mask of grime, and his striking red hair was an absolute mess. An ugly scar ran down his face, passing right over his eye. As soon as he saw her, he grinned in an all-too-familiar way. That's when she spotted the knife in his hand. It was stained with dry blood.

Tears started running down Hera's face. She had no strength to fight or run. Trembling uncontrollably, she choked out, "Are you…going to kill me?" She reached up and wiped at her nose and eyes, sniffling.

For a few seconds, Hapi didn't respond. Then his grin twisted into a deep frown. "No." He whispered. Then tears started running down his face too. His shoulders shook with silent sobs. Hera couldn't help but start bawling. The grief that radiated off of Hapi was contagious.

For a full minute, they just stood there, crying. Eventually they quieted, trying to regain their composure. Seized by a sudden impulse, Hera thrust out her parachute to Hapi.

He took it and opened it, looking blankly at the cake inside. Without a word, he set it on the ground and pulled out a clean knife. He cut a slice for himself and a slice for Hera. There they sat, neither of them speaking as they nibbled away at the delicious dessert. Their shrunken stomachs quickly became stuffed. When they had finished, Hapi handed the cake back to Hera.

"It's yours." He told her in a solemn voice.

"Thanks." Hera murmured, happy to have it. It was a very filling dessert and would last her for a few days, considering she couldn't eat more than a slice without getting a stomach ache.

Hapi held up the frosting-covered knife. Hera gave a start, thinking he was going to stab her. Instead, he held it out to her. "You were too kind," Hapi said, pressing it into her hand, "You must let me repay you."

Hera just stared blankly at her newly-acquired weapon. "Thank you so much." She whispered. "Really."

Hapi smiled, but the smile seemed empty somehow. "Goodbye, Hera." He turned and walked away, his hollow farewell echoing behind him. Hera felt a shiver go up her spine as she wondered if this would be the last time they saw each other.

* * *

Emmett was another loner that had been doing surprisingly well. It was easy to hunt down food on the ice side of the arena and, with his matches, he could cook whatever he found. During the past few days, he had acquired a taste for lemmings, ptarmigans, and minnows. The three stupidest creatures he had ever encountered.

It's like they were _asking _to be eaten. They would usually just sit there, thinking they were well-camouflaged, only making a break for it at the last second. By then, it was too late, and Emmett had already managed to spear one on the end of his sword.

One afternoon, he was stalking a ptarmigan that was roosting on a snow bank. It was staring at him with round, panicked eyes, but it remained completely still. It blended perfectly with the snow, but it was no match for Emmett's keen eyes. He walked towards it very slowly, recalling that some creatures had trouble with depth perception—and birds might be one of them.

He was about ten feet away and the ptarmigan looked as though it might take off. When suddenly, an arrow zinged out of nowhere. In a flutter of feathers, the bird spread its wings and flew away. Emmett leaped forward, trying to stab it, but it was out of his reach. Once in the air, the ptarmigan let out a raucous alarm call.

Emmett muttered a curse. Now all of the prey in the area would know he was here. Then, it hit him—the arrow had come from another tribute. He caught sight of an alliance of three, coming towards him with two sets of arrows pointed at him. He recognized the girl from the Cornucopia.

Knowing that he couldn't run, Emmett prepared himself for the fight of his life. _I can probably take out the kid and the girl before the big guy offs me. I hope luck is on my side today… _He thought, mind racing.

Before the battle could break out, the little guy piped up, "Hey, that's my backpack! Kalin, this is the guy that stole my backpack!"

"I didn't see your name on it." Emmett growled before Kalin could respond.

Jarek glared at Emmett. "That's because there's no pencils in the arena to write with. Duh!"

Emmett rolled his eyes. "I don't think any of you have the guts to shoot me." He said, his voice full of confidence, "This girl didn't, and neither do you two. You're one of those peace-making alliances that ends up dying out because they were too afraid to take another life."

For some reason, this statement seemed to amuse Kalin. "You're awfully brave to be saying that when you're so clearly outnumbered. Are you sure you want to take that gamble?" Emmett hesitated and Kalin chuckled appreciatively, "I thought so."

Emmett lifted his chin defiantly. "If you wanted me dead, you would have killed me already." He smirked as it was everyone else's turn to look unsure. Jarek and Amara cast uncertain glances at Kalin.

His face was smooth as he replied, "Not necessarily."

But he didn't elaborate. Emmett snorted, "Stop stalling and do it then."

No one moved. Emmett braced himself, waiting for the arrows to pierce his flesh. After ten seconds, nothing. The three of them lowered their weapons, their eyes widening. Amara started backing away. Emmett laughed and went to say, "I thought so," but a furious roar drowned him out.

His first reaction was to leap forward and hide behind Kalin, but Kalin barely took any notice of it. The four of them were staring, petrified, at the Capitol's newest muttation.

It looked like some horrible cross between a polar bear and a gorilla. It towered above them, at least ten feet high. It was covered in shaggy white fur that matched the snow. It was slightly hunched with arms that seemed too long for its body; and it boasted a set of black, razor sharp claws that matched two beady, dark eyes. Its nose pushed out from its face, forming a snout. It roared again, revealing pointed teeth, stained yellow.

"It's the abominable snowman!" Jarek shrieked.

Amara let one of her arrows fly. It penetrated the beast's shoulder, and it roared with pain. It lumbered towards them, swinging a colossal fist as it went. The four of them scattered.

Kalin fired off an arrow as he went, aiming for the creature's face. But his hands were still numb from the night before, due to frostnip, and he missed. The monster only grew angrier and began to pursue him. It swiped at him, tearing the back of his jacket to shreds. Luckily, it had not managed to penetrate flesh.

Jarek, screaming like a wild banshee, ran straight for the beast. Before it could react, he dashed through its legs, jabbing at it with his knife as he went. The monster snarled furiously. It turned, distracted, as Kalin shouted for everyone to run.

But the muttation, despite being so bulky, was fast. It dropped to all fours and galloped after the fleeing Jarek. The poor boy scurried up a small tree, as fast as he could go. Emmett was thankful for the diversion, and preparing to make his getaway when Jarek started screaming hysterically.

The strange bear-like creature had fixed its jaws around Jarek's foot and was trying to pull him down to the ground. Jarek lashed out with his other foot, striking the beast right on the nose. The monster let go, bellowing in pain. Jarek hurriedly climbed out of reach.

Kalin and Amara were perched in a larger tree, shooting arrow after arrow at the monster's back. They sunk in, but it wasn't enough to bring him down. The muttation was oblivious to them as it sunk sharp claws into tree bark and gave a great push.

Jarek was panicking, trying to keep ahold of a branch, as the entire tree swayed beneath him. The muttation took a step back and rammed its entire body into the trunk. The sound of splintering wood filled the air. The tree began to creak as it tipped to one side. The monster crashed into it again and Jarek nearly lost his grip.

He closed his eyes, sniffling. "Bye Mom and Dad," He said through tears, "Bye Dalia. I'll miss you."

But then Emmett came flying out of seemingly nowhere. He had scaled another nearby tree and leaped off of a branch, right onto the beast's head. At the same time, he plunged his sword downwards, digging it into the space between the monster's eyes. It stumbled backwards, letting out a shriek that sounded oddly human.

Then the beast staggered…and fell. Emmett tried to leap away, but he hit the ground hard, and the animal's head came crashing down on top of him. He struggled for air, but he was pinned to the ground. The pressure was so unbearable that he felt as if his chest were going to burst…

The beast was still alive, but the amount of blood it had lost finally seemed to be registering with its body. It lay there, its breathing steadily slowing down. Emmett closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain. The monster's rasping filled his ears and its stench clung to his nostrils. If suffocating under this beast was how he was supposed to die, he wished it would go quickly.

But then, the pressure lifted. Emmett opened his eyes to see the alliance of three rolling the beast's head off of him. Then the oldest boy, Kalin, dragged him out. Emmett gave a sharp cry as pain shot through his ribs. Amara and Jarek looked on worriedly.

"You'll be okay." Amara said in a soothing voice, "I think you might've cracked a rib, but it's not life-threatening. That was very brave of you."

"You saved my life!" Jarek burst out.

"What made you do it?" Kalin said, his tone edged with suspicion.

Emmett forced himself to sit up, gritting his teeth as pain once again seized his chest. It was hard to breathe deeply, but he managed to wheeze, "Just…couldn't stand by…"

Everyone exchanged a glance. "I'm surprised," Amara spoke up, "You ran off when the Careers invaded us."

"That was…different." Emmett grunted. For some reason, when this Capitol muttation had been attacking, he had felt a kinship with his fellow tributes. He couldn't just leave them to die when they were all fighting so bravely to defeat this atrocity.

Jarek looked to Kalin. "Are you going to let him join the alliance?"

Before Kalin could respond, Emmett shook his head. "No. Thank you." He told them, gathering the strength to stand up.

Jarek looked slightly disappointed, but Kalin seemed fine with the decision. "As thanks, we'll let you keep that backpack." He told Emmett, "But if we ever cross paths again, we won't hesitate to attack."

Emmett's eyes sparkled with amusement. "_Sure_ you won't." He said, gathering his things and starting to limp away. The three of them watched him go in silence.

When he had disappeared from sight, Jarek turned to the other two, his eyes brimming with curiosity. He pointed to the dead muttation and said, "Hey, so can we eat this thing or what?"

* * *

Hapi listened to the anthem from the mouth of his cave. As much as he would've liked to sleep through it, he wanted to know which of his competitors had died out so far. The sky carried the images of the crazy girl from District 2, and the girl that had died in front of his eyes. When he saw her looking down on him, the image of her smoldering body appeared in his mind. Her screams echoed in his ears and he had to clamp his hands over them to try and block them out. It didn't do any good.

He retreated to the back of his cave and laid down on the parka he had stolen. He lay there, scrunching his eyes shut and grinding his teeth together until it hurt. _Go to sleep, go to sleep… _He told himself over and over again. But the more he repeated it in his mind, the less sense it began to make.

Every little sound made him sit up and whip out a knife. He would listen for a minute, but the only thing he could hear was blood roaring in his ears. Then he would lie back down and close his eyes.

At some point, he started to drift off into a hazy state of mind. He had nearly achieved sleep when a falling sensation caused his stomach to drop. Convinced that the ground had given way under him, he woke up with a loud gasp, his hand instantly grabbing a knife.

He was covered in sweat. It caused his garments to cling to him uncomfortably. But he was just grateful that it was sweat, and not boiling water.

Boiling water.

Scarlet's death came crashing back in full force. The burning blisters. The peeling skin. Hapi clutched at his face, digging untrimmed nails into the skin. He welcomed the pain. It let him know he was still alive.

_But now, everything's ruined… _He thought, his eyes wide and staring, _The Capitol will think I'm weak. All of that trouble to trick them into liking me, and now this. No one will want to sponsor me anymore. No one. They will all want me dead. Every last one of them. I wonder how they'll kill me? Will they laugh when I'm gone?_

_I'm so sick of this. I don't want to kill anymore. I don't want to be apart of their Games. I just want to go home. I'm done. I'm done. Please just let me go home._

_Please. Please. Please._

He gave a sudden jerk at a strange animal sound that came from outside the cave. Immediately, a knife was in his hand. He rose shakily to his feet and crept towards the entrance.

It was dark outside, but the lava still gave the sky that strange glow. And through the smoke, he could see a dark shape floating towards him.

His grip tightened on the handle of the knife. It nearly slipped from his grasp; his palms were so sweaty. Nerves were making his heart race. _A muttation? _He wondered, bringing his arm back to throw it. A strange yelp filled the night, echoing off the cliff sides.

Hapi lowered his knife and stood there, frozen. He could barely breathe. _…Could it…could it be…? _He dared to hope.

The large parachute drew closer, leaving the cover of the smog and coming into view. The parachute carried a basket. A red fox was hanging its head over the side of the basket, her tongue lolling, the tip of her tail wagging behind her.

"Keata!" Hapi cried out joyfully.

Keata let out a gleeful yip, her whole body wriggling with excitement. Before the parachute could even land, she leaped out of the basket and landed in Hapi's arms.

Hapi fell to his knees, burying his tear-stained face into his beloved pet's coat. It was so soft, softer than ever before. Keata squirmed in his grip, struggling to cover his face in licks. "Is this real?" Hapi choked out, hugging the fox close.

In response, Keata buried her jaws into his arm, just like she always did when she wanted to be let go. Hapi flinched at the pain, freeing her. Fresh tears streamed down his face, but not because it hurt. It was because he was so happy. He hadn't felt happiness like this for as long as he could remember.

"It _is _real." He whispered, reaching out to touch Keata once more. Her dark eyes closed in contentment as he rubbed her behind the ears.

Then he noticed someone had attached a pink collar to her neck, after a thorough grooming, no doubt. Hapi slipped his hand under the collar and pulled out a small note.

_I missed you, _the note read.

Hapi reached up, wiping at his eyes. "Oh, Keata," He murmured, holding her close, "I missed you too."

**RIP Yeti. You really sucked. You couldn't even kill anyone. A gelatinous jellyfish with no brain nor skeleton pwned harder than you ever did. Spider-Man for the win!**


	24. Parting Words

**ANOTHER UPDATE BECAUSE I CAN. And there's only a week and a half till school starts. Sniff. At least my job is over so that I'll have more time to write.**

**Here are the results of the couples quiz. Next quiz will be put up when we reach the Final 9 (It WAS going to be the Final 10, but I wound up killing off two in one chapter. Whoops.)**

**1****st**** Seth x Scarlet with 12 votes**

**2****nd**** Frederick x Julia with 10 votes**

**3****rd**** Hip x Channa with 8 votes**

**4****th**** Rhutter x Channa with 7 votes**

**5****th**** Roam x Journey with 4 votes**

**6****th**** Tasi x Calista, Gillbert x Kelsea, Kalin x Amara with 2 votes**

**7****th**** Cole x Channa, Emmett x Beatriss with 1 vote**

**How nice that everyone got at least one vote! I expected Seth and Scarlet to take first (I voted for them, along with Hip x Channa, although it was really tough to choose between them and Frederick x Julia) but I am impressed that Rhutter x Channa scored so highly. I can guarantee you'll get a sighting of those two at the end.**

Hera had been having a rather pleasant dream, when a slight tickling sensation on her leg alerted her that it was time to wake up. "Five more minutes…" She mumbled, rolling onto her back.

But a few seconds later, the tickling started up again. Hera groaned, forcing her eyes open, "Mom, I'm not five anym—" She broke off with a surprised shriek.

A gigantic rat was hunched over her, snuffling at her bare leg. Its whiskers brushed against her skin and she fought the urge to vomit. The chocolate cake that she had been sponsored was smeared all over its pointed snout. It had eaten the last of her food.

"Get away!" She screamed, trying to scramble to where her knife lay. The shrew gave an angry hiss and latched onto her leg, digging in deep with its teeth.

Crying out with pain, Hera struggled to free herself. She snatched up the knife and repeatedly stabbed the muttation over and over again, but it only sunk its fangs deeper into her flesh. Hera wailed for mercy.

Finally, she penetrated the back of its neck and the rat dropped dead. She kicked it off of her. Dread filled her heart as she saw droplets of blood fly through the air.

"Oh no…" She whispered, "This is bad."

The wound was deep in her thigh. She could see each jagged point where the tooth had dug in the most. Blood was quickly gathering at these points, spilling over. Hera wished desperately for some sort of medical kit. She knew basic first aid, but she couldn't hope to treat this without certain materials.

Before she could start panicking, she spotted yet another parachute floating towards her. "Oh thank goodness…" She said shakily, reaching up to catch it as it floated into the narrow entrance, "Thank you, thank you so much…"

She hurriedly opened it and looked inside. There was no medical kit. Only a small, gold case and a note that said, _Y__ou know what to do. _She opened the case, thinking it was wound-healing medicine. But inside, there was only a small pile of fine, black powder.

Gunpowder.

The note was right. Hera knew what to do. But she didn't want to do it.

Her parents had never done such a thing in their time as doctors, but they knew how to use gunpowder in an emergency quite well. It was what soldiers did when wounded in war. And they had shared this bit of knowledge with Hera. Now, she was wishing they hadn't. She would have rather remained oblivious at this point, like any other tribute with a lack of medical knowledge.

The Capitol wanted to see her light herself on fire.

It was a great last resort for closing fresh, open wounds. Just sprinkle the gunpowder on and light it. It would seal up the wound instantly, and kill the bacteria to boot. But the pain would be unbearable.

_I have to do it. _Hera told herself. She shakily got to her feet, clinging to the cliff walls for balance. She dragged her injured leg behind her, trying to ignore the amount of blood that was running down it. She quickly located a scraggly, dying tree, and broke off a stick. Then she forced herself to approach one of the many, smaller lava flows.

She could feet the heat on her face as she slowly sat down on the ground. She lowered the stick and watched it ignite. _I have to do it to survive. What if this wound gets infected? I have to close it up…_

In one hand, she held her torch. In the other, the case of gunpowder.

_Just pour it on the wound and light it on fire._

Squeezing her eyes shut, she poured the contents onto her leg. The pain was so intense; she hadn't been expecting anything like it. She clamped down hard on her tongue and tasted blood. _It hurts so bad. _Tears ran silently down her face. Her wound felt like it was already on fire.

Fighting to urge to start crying, she told herself, _just light it with the torch. You're halfway there. _

But she just stared at it, choking with sobs. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't light herself on fire. She just couldn't. A fierce wind blew, and she watched the gunpowder get carried away with it. A few particles remained, sticking inside her wound. She bit back another scream of pain and just buried her face into her hands, crying freely. The stick fell from her grasp and fell into the lava flow.

Within seconds, it had burned away.

_I'm sorry, _She thought, thinking of her parents, _I just can't do it._

* * *

It was late morning, and Hapi was just waking up. Somehow, he had managed to fall asleep after staying awake for hours. But he hadn't managed to get much rest. His eyes were heavy, with dark circles under them. He remembered Keata coming to him as a sponsor gift and wondered if it was a dream induced by his state of fatigue. He glanced around his cave. It was empty.

"Keata?" He whispered.

No response. His heart fell.

_I guess it was just a dream, _He decided, rising to his feet, _A dream that was too good to be true…_

But as he stepped outside, he caught sight of a familiar face. Keata was standing over a dead lizard, her snowy white chest thrust out proudly.

"Keata!" Hapi exclaimed, positively thrilled, "You brought breakfast!"

_So it wasn't a dream after all, _Hapi thought, relieved. He approached the vixen, bending down to pick up the tiny meal. She snatched it up in her mouth and bounded a few steps away. Then she laid it back on the ground, watching Hapi with bright eyes.

"Keata, this is the Hunger Games! We don't have time to play keep away!" Hapi chastised.

She dropped into a crouch, wiggling her hindquarters just as a dog would. She slapped the ground with a paw, inviting him to come frolic with her. Hapi couldn't help but smile. But he was still very aware of the dangers that lurked out here, and retreated back into his cave without a word.

As he expected her to do, Keata followed him in. She dropped the lizard and scuffed at it with a paw, making a big show of herself. Hapi just rolled his eyes. "Okay, you go ahead and get it all dirty. I've got my own food anyways."

Keata stared at him, looking a bit put out. But then she gave a small whine and pranced over to Hapi. She nudged him with her nose, and he couldn't help but give her a pat on the head.

Yesterday seemed so far away now, especially with Keata here. She was a great comfort to him and he couldn't have been more grateful for her presence.

But with the number of tributes down by half, Hapi felt that it was time to reconsider his strategy. He was steadily running out of food, and getting hardly any sleep due to paranoia. He knew there was still the Career pack to consider, as well as a possible second alliance that could be just as big a threat. With them on the hunt, the number of loners would quickly dwindle, if they hadn't already.

_I wouldn't be able to defend myself against more than two, most likely. _Hapi acknowledged, _Time for a change of tactics._

* * *

Bentley had been blazing through the Hunger Games with flying colors. He was excelling at finding food and water, keeping warm in the cold, and hiding at the first sign of trouble. He silently hoped that he could keep this up for the second half of the Games.

On day 5, he was out hunting as usual, when he stumbled upon a strange white bird. It looked nothing like the ptarmigans he was used to seeing. It was much bigger, with a sharp, protruding beak and bright yellow eyes. It was snow-white in color, dappled with darker feathers. Currently, it was hunched on the ground, as if injured.

Bentley approached with one thought on his mind: food. As he drew closer, the bird flared up and let loose a shrill hiss. Armed with his axe, Bentley felt no fear. Just as he was bringing it up, the injured bird spread its wings and took flight. He stumbled back in surprised as the owl flew straight at him and raked its talons down his face in one quick movement.

Bentley swung the axe, but the bird was already above him, circling. It dive-bombed him, talons forward, and he dropped to the ground. It passed over harmlessly. Bentley prepared to run, but then he noticed the batch of eggs in front of his face. Among the eggs was one tiny ball of fuzz. The owlet's eyes weren't even open yet. Bentley realized that the owl wasn't injured; she was protecting her nest.

Before he could swipe the eggs, a heavy weight slammed into his back at full force. At the same time, the mother owl had landed protectively over her nestlings, hissing. Bentley realized the father had arrived.

Abandoning the eggs, he turned and ran. The father owl pursued him until he was well out of their territory. Then it circled back around and disappeared back in the direction of its nest.

Bentley let out a wordless growl, tenderly touching his cold fingers to his stinging face. The scratches were already swelling up.

_So I can survive in the Hunger Games for five days…but fighting off a pair of birds? Forget it. _He thought, feeling extremely irritated. _They weren't even stinking muttations. _He bent down to snatch up a handful of snow and press it to his face. He felt instantly better.

Welcoming the relief it brought, he headed back to his camp.

* * *

The Cornucopia had been nearly cleaned out, yet half of the tributes still remained. Between the four of them, the Careers only had two backpacks left, crammed with all sorts of random supplies. They had barely any food. Only water, sleeping bags, matches, materials to build traps, and a few other necessities. The Gamemakers just hadn't provided enough supplies in this year's Games.

On top of that, Zane had been right. The two sides of the arena were beginning to blend together. The rut he and Kelsea had hidden in on the second night had filled with magma. Frost was creeping in from the ice side. The temperate zone was quickly disappearing.

Ravish was currently trying to gather up what was left into the remaining backpacks. The other three were out scouring the rock formation for any tributes that may have been hiding there. As she crammed a few last things into a backpack, she happened to glance up at the Cornucopia.

The inside walls, that had been lined with weapons only a few days ago, were completely barren. The hard ground was no longer piled with backpacks. Irritation pricked at Ravish's insides.

_It's not fair that those in the 42__nd__ Games got shelter, hidden food, AND a bunch of supplies in their Cornucopia. _She thought, thinking of Channa. She was probably laughing it up right about now, watching her ungrateful District 1 tributes struggle for survival.

Ravish perked up at the sight of her comrades crossing the barren landscape towards her. She dropped what she was doing and went to meet them. But then she paused, casting a glance at the two backpacks that remained.

…_No. No more stalling. It's time to go. _She decided, going back and grabbing them. _The other alliance never came back. They're no longer a threat. I can't afford to share what's left with the rest of this alliance. _Then she went to meet them, trying to keep a smooth expression.

Saffron was leading the pack. He walked right up to her, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What are you doing with those?" He wondered as the other two trotted up behind him.

Ravish dumped a backpack into his arms. "These two backpacks contain the last of our supplies." She explained.

Kelsea narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "And just what do you think you're doing with them?"

"I'm taking them. And I'm giving the other half to Saffron because District 1 is going to win this year's Hunger Games, no matter the cost." Ravish said, pointing her rapier at Kelsea.

Kelsea's hand went to her belt, and she slipped her fingers around one of her throwing stars. "Not if I have anything to say about it." She growled.

Zane's heart sunk. He knew this was coming. He just hadn't expected it to be so soon. "I take it this disbandment isn't going to be peaceful, is it?" He mused, raising his heavy sword, eyeing the backpack that was already on Saffron's back.

Saffron took on a defensive stance, but he looked slightly nervous. "It is dishonorable to kill one's own ally." He reminded the others.

"Too bad we're not allies anymore…" Ravish hissed, not taking her eyes off of Kelsea. The tip of her sword was quivering in anticipation.

"Right." Kelsea agreed in a deadly voice, meeting Ravish's gaze, "If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. This is the Hunger Games. Honor—" She flicked out a throwing star. "Has nothing to do with it!" She threw the spiked weapon at Ravish, but the older girl had been prepared for it and dodged to the side.

At the same time, Zane lunged for Saffron, blocking his escape. "Fool!" Saffron spat, slashing at the other Career with his katana.

Zane could feel it cut deep his stomach, but he was immune to the pain. His vision flooded red as he aimed to run Saffron through with his sword. But Saffron had already slipped past him and was sprinting towards the ice side. "Coward!" Zane roared, aiming to pursue him.

But after a few heavy steps, he was suddenly aware of the pain in his side. His shirt was wet with blood. He tried to ignore it, completely focused on killing. But it slowed him down a great deal. He could only watch helplessly as Saffron disappeared among the maze of snowy cliffs, backpack in tow.

He turned back, preparing to enter the fray with Ravish and Kelsea. But then a small, sensible voice told him, _They'd kill you in a second. You're wounded. GET OUT OF THERE. NOW._

Pressing a hand to his stomach, Zane turned and ran for the fire side, passing the two girls as he went. They were so focused on destroying one another, they barely took any notice of his escape.

"I'll make your death fast!" Ravish promised, deflecting one of the stars with her rapier, "That's how you'd want it, right?" Another one flew at her, catching her on the edge of her shoulder, but she ripped it out of her flesh and tossed it aside like it was nothing.

"Well _I'll _make sure to put on a good show for the Capitol when I kill _you_." Kelsea snapped, darting forward to stab at her with her stiletto, "I'll make it slow and painful!"

Ravish let out a loud, girlish laugh as she retreated backwards a few steps. "Oh, that's really rich! Just how I like it. You're such a pal, Kelsea!"

Gritting her teeth with annoyance, Kelsea reached for another throwing star, but she came up with nothing. Her eyes widened ever so slightly at this realization.

"Oh, you're all out of throwing stars?" Ravish said, with mock disappointment, "What a shame. And just when this was getting interesting." Suddenly, she switched to the offensive, bearing down upon Kelsea with her sword.

Kelsea tried to block each blow with her stiletto, but Ravish was jabbing at her repeatedly, forcing her backwards. Her eyes blazed with excitement and her lips were curled into a gleeful sneer.

Suddenly, Kelsea stumbled backwards on the uneven surface. She fell to her knees. The stiletto flew from her hand and skittered across the rocks. Before Kelsea could get up, she felt the sharp tip of the rapier pierce her throat. She couldn't help but gag on the taste of her own blood.

Ravish smiled cruelly, leaning down on her rapier as she pushed it further and further into Kelsea's throat. She lowered her face so that it was directly in front of Kelsea's. "You lose." She whispered. Only then did she wrench the sword away in a spray of blood.

Kelsea crumpled to the ground in a pool of crimson. Ravish stepped back from her work, smiling. A cannon fired and she couldn't help but allow a small giggle to escape her. Then she glanced around, looking for the others.

For the first time in a while, she was alone.

_At least I killed one person. _She acknowledged, smirking at Kelsea's unmoving body, _Time to find my next victim._

* * *

Zane was quickly becoming weaker with each minute that passed by. Blood was pouring from the wound Saffron had given him, and it didn't seem to want to stop. He had taken off his shirt to observe the damage, and it was worse than he thought. Saffron had sliced him at an angle that had left his skin flapping around in a sickening manner.

He tried to hold it in place and staunch the flow of blood with his thin jacket, but it wouldn't stop. He collapsed heavily on the ground, feeling weaker by the second. The edge of his vision began to grow dark.

_Darn it, _He thought, cursing inwardly, _this isn't how it was supposed to be._

His mind drifted back to his family. All of those days he had spent training for the Hunger Games. He was going to bring glory to his district.

_Not anymore. _He realized with a dreadful sinking feeling. But he didn't even have the strength to cry about it. He closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

**RIP Kelsea. Yet another awesome Career. She really had a good reason to win and, judging by the first poll, everyone expected her to do so. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Poor Kelsea, at least you've escaped your controlling parents, although you won't be coming home to Gillbert. :(**


	25. Reforging Alliances

**My sister had the most awesome dream. She says apparently I created a virtual reality video game where you could enter the 43rd Games as one of the characters and it could either be in 1st person or 3rd person, but you were actually in the game as your avatar. I was Saffron, she was Hapi, and whoever created a character entered as their own (so I guess that means a lot of you guys were in it!). And they had the same strengths/weaknesses listed in their profiles. For some reason, the arena was mixed with our neighborhood.  
**

**It didn't happen exactly like this Games since it was a free-for-all video game. My sister says she got ahold of knives, and ran into Emmett after leaving the Cornucopia and stabbed him/her with a kitchen knife O.o Then she came across the Career alliance girls and hid in a bush. Ravish was about to find her so she stabbed her in the heart and got away. Adrenaline started pursuing her, and after lots of stabbing and hacking with the saw, Hapi came out on top, but then here came Kelsea. At this point my sister was getting low on health points so she just ran for it. Then she came across an alliance of three random people she can't remember (she thinks Kalin was among their ranks) and pressed the request alliance button to join so it would get Kelsea off her back. It did, and she ditched the alliance instantly. Also she managed to snatch some throwing stars because there was something where you can steal weapons on the ground, if they were dropped there.  
**

**Oh, and instead of being sponsored Keata, she was sponsored our fat cat Mittens. Mittens pretty much hid in a bush the whole time, but when she pet her, she would recover a bit of HP.  
**

**Anyways, she recovered her HP by eating food and petting Mittens and she picked up a mace, but she couldn't use it because Hapi is a wimp XD Then she was walking through some woods and she turned to see Angela behind her, who started attacking, but her blows were rather weak (I assume her stats weren't very high since she's 12). Then Hapi threw a knife and won. My sister went over to our neighbor's garage and I was chilling there, as Saffron XD But we were just like HEYYY and we entered a chat mode. And apparently it came with a little cutscene where he was like, "What do you want, mongrel?!" and his theme song was playing in the background and he flipped his hair all arrogantly.  
**

**Yeah. I thought that was a pretty cool dream. Makes me wish I could create something as cool as that. :C Also I apologize if my sister killed you. But no hard feelings, it was a virtual reality within a dream and she's competitive. Meanwhile, I hide out in garages praying that no one finds me (heh her dream was actually pretty accurate, regarding that). Moving on to the actual story...  
**

**Play this as soon as you start the chapter. XDDD I'm so terrible.**

** : / / www . youtube watch?v=tO2AvYe18s0**

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

Zane's eyes snapped open as the sound of laughter reached his ears. He let out a cry of surprise. Another tribute had placed his face right in front of him, far too close for comfort. Seeing that Zane was awake, the tribute's mouth stretched into a wide grin, revealing a perfect set of teeth, and he stepped back.

It was then Zane realized he couldn't move his arms or legs. They were tightly bound by the rope of a grappling hook. The rope snaked around his wrists and ankles, and held the rest of his body pinned upright to a rock. Zane wriggled, trying to loosen its grip, but it was in vain.

The sound of two knives scraping together caused him to whip his head up. The other tribute was sitting a few feet away, safely out of reach, with a knife in each hand. Zane took the time to observe him. He couldn't place a name to his face, although it seemed like a hard one to forget. The boy was Asian with a mop of red hair. His eyes were naturally squinted, so it was hard to see into them and tell what he was thinking. Only his toothy grin betrayed how amused he was.

Zane immediately felt wary, but one look at this tribute's scrawny muscles told him that he could take him. If he wasn't tied to a rock and being held at knifepoint, that is…

Hapi slowly lifted one of the knives and pointed it towards Zane. "No need to thank me." He said in a light voice.

For a moment, Zane wondered what he could possibly be talking about. Then he looked down to see that he was still shirtless and his stomach wound had been neatly stitched up. The dried blood had been cleaned up and everything. _This pansy knows first aid. _He realized, staring at it, _This pansy saved my life. _

"Not bad for my first try, don't you agree?" Hapi chuckled.

"Thank you." Zane murmured.

Hapi gave a satisfied nod, but said nothing.

They both sat there in silence. _Well, this is awkward. _Zane thought. "Uh…so what's your name?"

"Hapi. Yours?"

"Zane."

"Nice to meet you, Zane," Hapi said cordially, "I trust you're wondering why I stitched your wound and tied you up here instead of killing you."

"You could say that." Zane mumbled.

"Well, there's something I need from you. I've had little to not sleep as of late—being a loner is very trying. And as the number of tributes dwindles, my position is becoming more and more dangerous. I assume the Careers have disbanded?"

Zane nodded in confirmation.

"But there are still a few wandering about," Hapi went on, "As well as a few alliances that may still be intact. What I'm trying to say is, there are still plenty of threats out there…"

"And you want to form an alliance." Zane finished for him.

Hapi smiled, eyes sparkling. "Right."

Zane couldn't help but ask, "And if I refuse?"

Hapi leaned forward, pressing the knife to Zane's throat. He flinched at the cool touch of the blade and hit the back of his head on the rock he was tied to. "Your choice." Hapi said quite cheerfully, "But I want you to know, Zane…you can trust me. I want you to _want _to join this alliance."

Zane stared at Hapi's eye slits, trying to get a read on him. Though he didn't have much of a choice, Zane knew that he would have to accept Hapi's offer. He wanted to live. He wanted to win the Hunger Games and return to his family.

And even though Hapi was creepy, he couldn't deny that he seemed trustworthy. He seemed the type to honor an agreement. _After all, if he wanted me dead, he would've just let me die. _Zane acknowledged

"All right," He agreed, "Let's do it."

Hapi's grin stretched even wider. "Excellent. On one condition…we aim to break up the other alliances. Perhaps even take down a few of the remaining Careers. Once we've done so, we part ways peacefully."

"Agreed." Zane replied firmly.

Hapi disappeared around the large rock and began unraveling the rope. Zane sat there, thinking how grateful he was to be alive. Hapi uncoiled the ropes around his fists. Zane clenched and unclenched his fingers, sighing as the blood returned to them. Then his feet were freed.

Hapi stepped back, watching him carefully.

Zane looked around. "Where's my sword?" He wondered. He struggled to stand, but a terrible pain suddenly seized his stomach and he collapsed in a heap on the ground, groaning.

"You won't be needing it anytime soon." Hapi said smoothly.

Zane felt a prick of irritation, but he didn't blame Hapi for taking extra precautions. He tried getting to his feet once more, disregarding the aching pain. This time, he was successful. He stood there on shaky legs, taking deep breaths. He went to take a step towards Hapi.

Suddenly, Hapi snapped, "Keata! Stop that! He's on our side!"

Zane gave a jerk of surprise, nearly collapsing a second time. His head whipped around frantically, wondering what had spurred this strange outburst.

But Hapi looked at him calmly, an amused smile on his face. "Sorry. Keata doesn't take kindly to strangers." He apologized.

Zane looked around, confused.

There was no one there.

* * *

By the evening of the fifth day, infection had completely taken over Hera's leg. The rat's saliva had turned out to be venomous. Hera wished she had gone through with setting herself on fire, wondering if that would have saved her. But now, she would never know.

The wound itself was a gut-wrenching mixture of red and yellow. The bite marks were seeping an endless supply of pus and blood. The area around it was turning black and blue. Hera had never seen anything like it. All of her medical skills couldn't save her now.

_I can't give up. _She told herself, trying to shake off the sense of hopelessness that threatened to overwhelm her, _I'll find Hapi. I'm sure he has supplies._

But when she got to her feet, she could barely walk. She leaned heavily on the side of a cliff and started limping back to where she had encountered him the day before. She dragged her useless leg behind her, biting back tears as she went.

* * *

After walking for a bit, Zane and Hapi arrived back at the cave that served as their camp. Zane was surprised to see a good amount of supplies resting at the back of it. Hapi immediately went to the backpacks and pulled out some food and water. He handed some to Zane, who accepted it graciously.

He drank all of his water straight down and wolfed down his food. Hapi nibbled on a small piece of beef jerky, watching him thoughtfully.

"So…" Zane said, once he had finished, "Looks like you've got a lot of stuff. How much food do you have left?"

"None. You just ate the last of it." Hapi gave a light laugh, but Zane didn't find it very funny. "Don't worry. Keata will catch us more."

Zane lifted his eyebrows skeptically. There was that name again. For some reason, Hapi seemed convinced that there was a third person to their party. It made Zane slightly worried about his mental state. Trying to play it cool, Zane said casually, "Is that so? If you don't mind me asking, where did Keata come from?"

"She was sponsored to me." He turned and looked at an empty corner of the cave, his eyes shining proudly.

"Uh-huh." Zane said, frowning, "And how did you two meet?"

"Oh, she followed me home one day." Hapi said airily, "She was trying to bum some food off of me." He didn't really feel like going into the entire story and left it at that.

"Aha." Was all Zane could manage. He still had no idea who the heck this Keata person was supposed to be. Was she human or some kind of animal? Zane just shrugged it off. "You must have been glad to receive such a kind sponsor."

Hapi's smile faltered slightly. He began to shake.

"…Is something wrong?" Zane asked nervously, wishing he had his sword.

For some reason, Zane's words had triggered a realization within Hapi. He had completely forgotten that no one knew of Keata's existence. _How did they know about her? _Hapi thought, feeling terrified, _Could…could they have been…watching me? _He swallowed nervously and asked in a quavering voice, "Zane, you don't think the Games could have been rigged, do you?"

Zane just shrugged. "Frankly, I don't know and I don't care. I volunteered to come here."

Hapi just stared at him, uncomprehending. "You volunteered." He repeated in a dazed voice, "Right." But his mind was buzzing with all sorts of questions. All of those times Hapi had thought he was alone, someone had been watching him. They had seen him breaking the rules by going out to hunt and training with his knives. They knew of his pet fox that was supposed to be a secret to the world.

_And they're watching me now. _He thought, a shiver running up his spine, _It must be because of my masks. They were selling them in the Capitol, and I unwittingly created a name for myself. Someone powerful must have wanted to see me compete. Or someone who hated me. Either way, the Reaping was rigged. And now they're taunting me. _

_But they screwed up. They sent Keata here, and now I've figured out their plan. The Capitol will never silence me. NEVER. _

Keata let out a concerned whine. Hapi forced himself to take a deep breath and give her a reassuring smile. She was sitting as far as she could from Zane with her ears laid back, her nostrils flared warily.

Hapi reached into one of his backpacks and took out his medical kit. He applied a little bit of medicine to the cut on his eye, and then passed it to Zane.

"That's one hardcore scar you got there." Zane said, lifting up his shirt and poking tenderly at his stitches, "Wish I had one of those."

Hapi tilted his head, looking disbelieving. _Careers are so strange. _He thought to himself, but he muttered a thanks.

"So what've you been up to these past few days?" Zane continued, handing back the medicine. He leaned against the wall, closing his eyes and letting out his breath.

"Just trying to survive." Hapi said quietly, "You?"

"It's been crazy." Zane recalled every event from the past few days and relayed it to Hapi. The Asian nodded at each point he made and offered up his input once in a while. Zane was interested to hear that he was the one who killed Tiger-Lilly. Hapi turned very attentive when Zane described the amount of trouble the tribute alliance had caused them.

"But Saffron killed their leader, so I think they've disbanded." Zane finished.

Hapi felt immense hatred flood through him at the sound of Saffron's name. "You're wrong. Their leader is still alive…I've been watching the sky."

Zane looked uncertain. "Hold up. You said you haven't even encountered them. How would you know who their leader is?"

"I watched them during training. The strong boy from District 11 is their leader…he gathered their alliance."

"Hm. Well, it doesn't matter. All alliances will eventually be broken. We'll make sure of it." Zane said firmly, his eyes flashing with determination.

Hapi gave a low chuckle. "Yes. We will."

* * *

After the disbandment of the Careers, Ravish repaired her small shoulder injury and set off to find her next victim. She headed to the ice side, intent on finding footprints and tracking them. Just as she set her foot in the snow at the edge of the icy territory, she spotted a parachute floating over her head. She chased after it, her heart leaping with pride.

_This is the reward for all of my hard work! _She thought happily, snatching it out of the air before it could drift away. It was quite large and she eagerly pried it open. Inside was a metal, circular shield of decent size. District 1's logo was inscribed on it, a castle in between two swords. _Good job, I guess_, read a note from Channa, but Ravish tossed it aside without a second glance.

Her heart was pulsing with excitement as she removed the shield from its case and strapped it to her arm.

_A perfect fit. _She thought, testing its weight. With her sword and shield, plus her backpack, she now felt unstoppable. She marched confidently through the snow, feeling exhilarated. After a little while, she found a familiar set of footprints.

_Angela, _She realized in disgust, _It's almost like that brat wants to be found._

But then she remembered the avalanche from the other day, how she had nearly lost her life in that fiasco. Most likely, Angela _did _want to be found, if she had another plan like that up her sleeve. _I won't let her get the better of me this time around, _Ravish told herself, following the trail carefully, _I'll sneak up on her._

The trail Angela had left was a complicated one. It looped in random circles and sometimes stopped completely, as if she had decided to start going backwards. It was like she knew Ravish would be following her trail. She even stopped at one point to make a snow angel.

_I can't wait to get my hands on you, you little troll. _Ravish thought, scowling as she came to another dead end. She doubled back and tried following a different set of footprints. Sometimes Angela purposefully scuffed up the snow, making it even more difficult to follow. But Ravish was feeling confident. She was quickly closing in on her prey.

Eventually, she found herself walking through a narrow space between two cliffs. She was wary, half-expecting Angela to appear above her and dump a large amount of snow on her head, but she never did. Ravish made it through the pass and emerged in a small valley surrounded by cliffs on all sides. Steam seemed to be rising from the center of it and she heard the sound of water.

Ravish immediately dropped low to the ground, crouching behind a cluster of small pine trees and rocks. She could hear someone splashing around in the water. She realized that this secluded oasis hid a hot spring.

_I found her camp! _Ravish realized with a thrill, holding back an elated laugh, _And she's right on the other side of these rocks, taking a bath. I bet the Capitol is dying from the suspense. Better not keep them waiting…_

She crouched down, bunching all of her muscles together. With a firm hold on her sword and shield, she sprang to the top of the rocks. "Gotcha!" She shouted triumphantly, preparing to stab Angela with her rapier.

Only it wasn't Angela.

"Blackwell!" Saffron cried out.

"Oh my God!" Ravish gasped.

Saffron started flailing about, sending up a huge spray of water. "DON'T LOOK AT ME!" He shouted, attempting to take cover behind a rock. "Time out, time out! I'M NAKED!"

Ravish quite literally shielded her eyes, holding up her sponsor gift in front of her face. Saffron quickly dried himself off and pulled back on his clothes. When he was done, he told her, "You may look upon me, now."

She lowered her shield. Saffron was standing on the other side of the spring, arms cross, chin tilted up, trying to look as if that hadn't just happened. But his reddened face spoke otherwise.

Ravish couldn't help but emit a small giggle. "I think you're the first person to ever call a time out in the Hunger Games."

Saffron merely scowled. "Why are you here? Have you come crawling back to beg for the position of being my subordinate once more?"

"Don't flatter yourself!" Ravish hissed, "I was hunting Angela, but her trail was a little hard to follow, and somehow I found you. Great job exposing yourself on national television by the way!"

"Oh come now, I'm quite confident that they would censor that." Saffron said, trying to look nonchalant.

"They don't censor any of the blood and gore that goes on in the Games," Ravish pointed out, "They probably wouldn't think twice about showing nudity."

Saffron's scowl completely fell away. He just gaped at Ravish with wide, concerned eyes. "But what of the children?" He demanded.

Ravish just shrugged. They stood there in awkward silence for a few moments. Then Ravish spoke up, "Well…I was totally prepared to kill someone and you just had to go and throw me off. Way to go."

"I do hope I did not shatter your innocence." Saffron said curtly.

Ravish snorted, "What innocence?"

Saffron didn't respond. He was gazing at Ravish and, for some reason, his eyes seemed almost hopeful. As if he were waiting for her to say something. She sighed. _I must be insane…_

"…Wanna reform the Career alliance?"

Then something very strange happened. Saffron actually smiled, a true, genuine smile. "You wish to serve as my right wing once more?"

"Sure, whatever you wanna call it. If it'll better my chances of going home." Ravish muttered.

"Excellent." Saffron replied, eyes shining gratefully.

Ravish couldn't help but smile. Now, on top of her weapons and supplies, she had an ally. An ally she could trust.

She thought back to the train ride she had shared with him. The train ride that seemed to have taken place years back, when in reality, it was only a few weeks ago. Channa, whom she detested, had actually offered her some of the best advice she could have hoped for.

_Stick by someone you trust, but make sure not to get too close to them._

Saffron Le Bel was a complete prig. It was impossible to get close to him, because if you even glanced at him, he would insult you. He thought he was better than everyone else, no questions asked. But behind that snobbish exterior, Ravish knew he had a loyal heart. He had refused to attack his allies, even when they were ready to murder him. He had dug her out of the cold snow when everyone else had given up.

If she couldn't trust Saffron, then she couldn't trust anyone.

**I may or may not slightly sort of kind of ship Saffron x Ravish. Maybe.**


	26. The Final Ten

**Since I've gotten a few questions about this, yes, Keata is an illusion. The real Keata is back in District 8 somewhere. Hapi was about to crack but his mind put up a defense mechanism in the form of his fox so that he wouldn't totally lose it.  
**

**Hey, I think every character is shown in this chapter! Schweet.  
**

**Oh yeah and two more advertisements. JuneTwentieth and Laugh-Read-Music-Dream (Angela's creator) are starting up their own SYOTs. As always, feel free to give them a tribute or two!  
**

Kelsea was the only one shown in the sky that night.

Angela, after leaving the Careers a web of footprints to follow, headed to the deserted temperate zone, which was quickly becoming nonexistent. Even though the two sides were creeping closer to one another, the middle ground between them was still the most bearable place to be. And the Cornucopia was there, of course.

But when Angela scoured the area, she found that everything was gone. The entire Cornucopia had been cleaned out. Blood stained the dusty orange rocks around it. Her stomach rolled at the sight of it.

Angela couldn't help but give a small huff of frustration. _Oh well. _She decided to take up residence in the rock formation north of the Cornucopia. She was only too glad to leave behind the ice side. As far as she knew, that strange beast was still on the loose. And now, the Careers were on the hunt too, thinking they were hot on her trail.

This would be the safest place, for now.

* * *

Despite the fact they had banned together in order to trade night shifts, Zane was having a hard time getting some much-needed sleep. He was lying on his back on Hapi's parka, trying to ignore the throbbing in his stomach. But that wasn't the worst of it.

Hapi kept letting out sharps gasps every ten seconds. Each time he did so, it made Zane give a little jump of surprise. Even when he was expecting it, it still shook his nerves. Fed up with it, Zane forced himself to sit up. It took a good amount of effort, but he managed.

He then observed Hapi at the mouth of the cave. He kept peeking around the corner and letting out short yelps of surprise. At one point, he flopped onto his back, flailing around like he was fighting off some sort of invisible demon. But all the while, he was laughing.

"Hapi!" Zane snapped, a little bit too forcefully. But he was highly irritable when he didn't get his sleep.

Hapi jerked in surprise and turned around to face Zane. "Forgive me, Zane. I thought you were asleep." He whispered.

Zane squinted at him, eyes darting around cautiously, "What's going on? Why do you keep doing that?"

"Oh," Hapi chuckled, "We're playing the ninja game. It's Keata's favorite."

Zane tried not to lose his patience, or else he would say something he regretted. "Why don't you get some sleep?" He said in a controlled voice, "I bet you could use it."

Hapi's expression softened. "Thank you. Come on, Keata."

He peeked back around the corner to where the fox was crouching. She sprang at his face, but he shooed her back.

"No, we're done. It's time for bed." He told her in a soft voice. He tried to coax her into the cave, but her lip curled at the sight of Zane. Her ears went flat against her skull and her bushy tail fluffed up twice its size.

Hapi sighed. He didn't blame Keata for her wariness. But he knew this alliance was necessary to their survival. So he crawled back into the cave to take Zane's place on the parka. Zane went over to the mouth of the cave and made himself comfortable.

Keata gave a warning growl to Zane, but he didn't react. She circled around him, giving him a wide berth as she entered the cave. She bounded to Hapi's side and curled up next to him on the parka. Hapi ran his fingers through her fur.

"Good night." He told Keata.

"Night." Zane responded.

Hapi frowned, but didn't bother to correct his ally. He lie down on the comfortable jacket and fell asleep almost instantly.

Zane couldn't help but close his eyes, if only to rest them. But he listened carefully to any sound that would warn him of approaching danger.

Suddenly, Hapi let out a shriek that nearly gave Zane a heart attack. He turned to see the Asian's face screwed up with pure rage. He was muttering expletives under his breath. Every so often, he would drop the F bomb.

Zane cringed, trying to resist the urge to totally lose his cool. _He saved your life, _He reminded himself, _Deal with it._

* * *

Saffron was always late to rise. He woke up laying face down in his sleeping bag, warmed by his own body heat. For a long time, he stayed like that, slowly trying to force himself back into reality.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty!" Ravish called, "It's time to get up."

Grumbling, Saffron removed himself from the sleeping bag, rubbing at his eyes. When he opened them, he saw Ravish soaking in the hot springs. And she was completely naked. Saffron gave a strangled cry and threw his arms over his face.

"I command you to put some clothes on!" He shouted.

Ravish narrowed her eyes. "You _command_ me? Hey, you were doing it yesterday. Besides, if I got my clothes wet, they'd be frozen as soon as I got out."

"B-but…you're…" Saffron searched for words, feeling extremely flustered.

Ravish rolled her eyes, "I'm not trying to seduce you or anything. I'm just trying to keep warm. You're welcome to join me, you know."

"Certainly not!" Saffron protested, "That would not be chivalrous at all, for me to look upon you. I shall respect your privacy!" He turned around and sat down, facing away from her. Despite the temperature, his face felt uncomfortably hot. _Foolish Blackwell! _He grumbled inwardly, crossing his arms.

Ravish made her way to the other side of the pool so that she was right behind Saffron. He refused to turn his head, fuming quietly. "So you'd rather freeze to death?" She said in a mocking tone.

Saffron didn't respond. "I'll take that a yes." Ravish shrugged, leaning her head back. She gave a contented sigh, relishing the warm water on her bare skin. She cupped it in her hands and splashed it on her face. "Hey Saffron…" Ravish said slowly, observing the ripples caused by her movements, "You're not mad at me for killing Kelsea, are you? I mean, you're such a self-righteous snob, I thought maybe you would…" She trailed off uncertainly.

Saffron snorted. "I do not care if Cutthroat died by your hand. Although I do take some offense to you calling me a self-righteous snob."

"That's a relief." Ravish said approvingly, completely ignoring the second part of his statement.

"After all, anyone that cannot survive the Hunger Games does not deserve to live and pass on their undesirable genes, according to my father. We are simply purging the world of lesser human beings."

This statement surprised Ravish. She wondered how he could act so loyal to his comrades if he felt this way. Ravish glared at his back, saying, "Is that so? And what if _you _die in the Games?"

"Don't be silly, Blackwell." Saffron said calmly, "I have the purest of blood."

"That's not…ugh. Forget it." Ravish growled. She slapped at the surface of the water, watching approvingly as it exploded on impact. Annoyance pricked at her insides. She silently hoped some of it splashed onto Saffron, but if it did, he didn't say so.

"Blackwell," Saffron said suddenly, "Were you sponsored that shield?"

"Yeah," Ravish replied, "About time District 1 got some love. Have you gotten anything?"

"No." Saffron answered quietly.

"Gee, I wonder why?"

"Cease your mockeries, mongrel."

"Whatever. Remind me why I reformed an alliance with you?"

* * *

As the days passed, Bentley was slowly starting to become frustrated. They were nearly a week into the Hunger Games and only about half of the tributes were dead. They were going by far too slowly for his liking. _I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. _He thought wearily, returning to his camp after spending the morning hunting.

He had found nothing. He hadn't even _seen _another life form, let along caught one. It was as if all of the wildlife had up and left the arena. Even the fish had inexplicably disappeared.

Sighing with fatigue, Bentley decided to stop by his camp for a short break. His backpack was safely tucked away in his cave. But as he drew close, he could hear something rustling inside the cave. Thinking it was some sort of wild animal, he got a firm grip on his axe and bravely entered.

He froze with shock at the sight of another tribute, rooting through his stuff. Having barely interacted with any of the tributes, Bentley had no idea what this boy's name was much less what district he was from.

As soon as he saw Bentley, the boy gave a jerk of surprise. He backed away slightly, but Bentley's backpack was still clutched in his hands. A sword was clasped in the other. "You!" He gasped, "You're Beatriss's district partner!"

Bentley narrowed his eyes. "Give me that." He said in a low, dangerous voice.

"I'm Emmett," The boy said hastily, his eyes searching for a way around Bentley, "I tried to save Beatriss, but—"

"I don't care." Bentley growled, refusing to let Emmett's words distract him, "Give me my backpack."

Emmett's innocent front dropped right off. His lips curled into a snarl. "It's mine now!" He snapped, and Bentley could see how thin he was. This boy was half-starved.

But Bentley felt no pity. Every instinct told him to fight this intruder. He closed in on Emmett, trying to block his escape. Emmett dropped both backpacks and slashed his sword at him. Bentley drove the axe into it, and a loud metallic clang rang throughout the cave.

Despite being younger, Bentley was stronger. He had spent his days caring for his family, chopping firewood, while Emmett had holed himself away in his room, drawing landscapes. The third swing of the axe easily sent Emmett's sword flying from his hand. He threw up his arms to defend himself, and Bentley brought the axe blade smashing into them.

Emmett was trapped, with no way to defend himself. He screamed as Bentley's weapon cut through his flesh. With no other options, he dropped to the ground, trying to make a dive for his sword. But his cracked ribs hindered him, making him cry out.

Before he could retrieve his weapon, the axe came down, burying itself into his back. Emmett stopped in his tracks, lying sprawled on his stomach. He twitched for a few moments, and then fell still. Panting, Bentley waited for the cannon. Only after it sounded did he remove the axe from Emmett's body.

He immediately reached for Emmett's backpack, only to find that he had run out of nearly all of his resources. There was no food, no water, and an empty box of matches. There was only a roll of gauze, for wounds. Bentley took Emmett's extra gloves and socks, and was prepared to take Emmett's jacket, when an unexpected noise nearly made his heart stop.

* * *

At the blare of the trumpets, Jarek nearly fell out of the tree he was climbing. "What's going on?" He called down to Kalin and Amara, from his perch. They were way down below him, looking around in confusion.

"Congratulations, my dear tributes." The voice of the Head Gamemaker filled every corner of the arena, "Each one of you has made it to the top ten."

There was a long pause. Kalin and Amara exchanged a glance, expecting that somewhere, in another world, the Capitol was going nuts. The Gamemaker was probably waiting for their applause to come to an end before continuing. The arena, however, couldn't have been more silent.

"To celebrate," The Gamemaker started up again quite abruptly, "we've prepared a feast for you. It will take place tomorrow at the Cornucopia, when the sun rises. I would suggest you be there. After all, you must be very hungry…"

The voice faded and the Head Gamemaker's presence disappeared.

"Oh, I get it!" Jarek called down to the others, "Because this is the Hunger Games! Hahaha, the Head Gamemaker has a sense of humor!" He was laughing his head off.

"That explains why the squirrel Jarek went after randomly vanished," Amara mumbled, "They're trying to starve us so we'll attend the feast." She looked to Kalin, waiting for him to say something.

His eyes were distant. "We're going either way." He said quietly.

Amara's eyes widened. "W…we are?" She breathed, feeling dreadfully nervous.

Kalin nodded. "I'm sorry, Amara." He murmured, "We can't fight it anymore. We've got to be a player in these Games, if we want to win."

Amara was visibly shaking, but she tried to put on a brave face. "This very well may end up being the climax of the Games," She said quietly, "What if one of us dies? I…I don't want to lose you." Her voice came out in a squeak, much to her chagrin.

Kalin smiled, holding out his arms to her. Amara stepped forward and allowed him to wrap them around her. _So warm… _She thought, immediately comforted. She listened to the strong, steady beat of his heart. It felt so reassuring. "You don't have to come," Kalin told her softly, "You can stay here with Jarek. Where it's safer."

Amara pulled back, looking up into his kind green eyes. "No," She said, her voice suddenly strong and full of determination, "I'm going with you."

Kalin's eyes shone gratefully. "Thank you, Amara." He murmured.

Suddenly, Jarek clumsily crash-landed beside them, proclaiming, "All right! Group hug!"

Kalin laughed and reached out an arm to Jarek, who happily joined in. They all held one another close, confidence welling up from their warm smiles.

"Okay, let's do it!" Kalin declared, stepping back and holding out his hand. Jarek and Amara put their hands on top of his. "We're in this together, right until the end!"

"Yeah!" Jarek cried out, voice full of fervor.

Amara nodded, beaming. "Let's do it!"

* * *

Hera wanted nothing more than to attend the feast.

But walking had become impossible for her. She had never felt pain like this, in all of her life. Her leg was completely eaten up by infection, swollen to nearly twice its size. She was constantly dry heaving, quickly ridding her body of what precious food and water it had inside of it.

For some reason, death seemed very far off, despite her symptoms. It seemed as if she were doomed to keep on suffering for days, at this rate. She wondered if she would starve to death or die of infection first. Tears filled her eyes at the prospect of it.

"I-I…don't w-want…to die…" She choked out weakly, from her position on the ground. She silently willed for some sort of miracle to happen. For some life-saving medicine to be delivered, or her own personal banquet. Even a sip of water would have made this more bearable. Her throat was as dry as the ground beneath her. Each breath that rattled through her lungs pained her.

Tears rolled freely down her dirtied face, leaving shining trails. For some reason, they burned her eyes. _I can't take it anymore, _She thought, squeezing them shut, _I just want to die…_

She shifted from her position on the ground ever so slightly and caught sight of her knife, laying a few yards away. It had flown from her hand when she collapsed. She stretched her arm out to take it, but it was out of reach.

Sobbing, she used her arms to drag herself over the rocks to get to it. Already, her skin was raw and bloody. Her cuts and scrapes were clogged with dirt that stung whenever she moved. But somehow, she managed to pull herself close enough to snatch the knife between her fingers.

With great effort, she brought her arm back, holding the knife to the back of her neck. The same fear that had taken hold of her when she possessed the gunpowder filled her up inside. But she knew that this would not bring pain. Only relief.

She pushed the blade to the back of her neck, sobs racking her body. "I'm sorry, Mom!" She burst out, "I'm sorry, Dad! I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me…"

With a final scream, she dug the knife into her neck.

**RIP Emmett and Hera.**

**Emmett: Another hard one to write. He had kind of a split personality thing going on, so I never really knew whether to have him being self-deprecating or overly arrogant. But it's always sad to see another tribute fall, no matter who they were. Emmett, even though you thought you had to win the Games to prove yourself to your parents…you already proved yourself long before.**

**Hera: Ah, the little fighter that everyone thought would go down right away in the Bloodbath. I hope she surprised all of you. I think she was one of the most realistic tributes and I enjoyed writing her, especially her interactions with Hapi. She took a memorable way out too...  
**

**Ah…I'm getting super depressed. So many good characters dead. And some who are high on my list of favorites are still fighting it out… ;_; I'm gonna go cry in a corner now.**

**BTW NEW POLL GO VOTE, YEAH? :)  
**


	27. Fire vs Ice

**Wow, a lot of you voted in the poll. Think I'll put up a new one in the next chapter if I get an idea (feel free to suggest one).  
**

"Wake up."

Zane gave a small gasp, sitting up so fast that pain seized his stomach. "Did we miss the feast?" He panted, pressing his hand to his wound. The darkness that blurred his vision told him otherwise. The sun had not yet risen.

"No," Hapi confirmed, sitting in the darkest corner of the cave. He was scraping his two longest knives together with a metallic grating sound, sharpening them for what lay ahead. "But we should get going. How are you feeling?"

Zane had spent the last two nights recovering. It still hurt a great deal to move around, but he knew if he got his head back in the game, the pain would cease to exist. "Well enough." He grunted, forcing himself to his feet.

"Keata brought breakfast." Hapi said, pointing to a dead lizard at the mouth of the cave. It was coated in a fine layer of dirt.

Zane wrinkled his nose in distaste. "That was there yesterday, Hapi. And it looks like it's been dead for days."

Hapi arched an eyebrow quizzically. "Oh. Well, Keata has been known to scavenge."

"We'll eat at the feast." Zane said in a confident voice.

Hapi smiled. "I'll get your sword for you." He said, disappearing in a flash. Zane followed him outside the cave, walking carefully. Hapi had already started clambering up the cliff wall. After rooting around a bit, he reached into a hidden crevice and pulled out Zane's sword.

Lugging it down was a bit difficult, as Hapi had trouble lifting heavy weapons. Once on the ground, he laid it down and took a few steps back. Zane could see one of his hands disappear inside his vest and he knew the Asian was resting his hand on a knife. But Zane had no plans to attack him.

He grabbed his sword off the ground, feeling as if he were reuniting with an old friend. He relished the smooth feel of the hilt and took a practice swipe with it. His stomach protested slightly, but he ignored it. He could see Hapi eyeing him nervously, but he offered his ally a reassuring smile.

"Let's go. That feast is as good as ours."

Hapi grinned appreciatively. Then, armed with their weapons, they began to move off. Hapi heard a small whine and he turned to see Keata standing there, cocking her head at him.

"Stay, Keata." He said in a low voice, "I'll be back soon."

* * *

"Hurry, hurry! We're gonna be late!" Jarek exclaimed.

The alliance of three was making their way through a thick layer of snow, leaving footprints in their wake. They trailed alongside a cliff, keeping to the blue-tinged shadows. With each step, Amara grew more nervous, but Kalin looked unbothered. "We'll be fine," He told his allies, "Besides, we don't want to run across any other tributes. Go carefully." He reached one hand towards his crossbow and adjusted it on his arm.

"Kalin, how many arrows do you have left?" Amara spoke up suddenly, "I'm almost out…"

"Six," Kalin responded, "One for each tribute."

Amara couldn't help but feel slightly shocked. "Only nine left…" She murmured regretfully, "Just a week ago, all twenty-four of us were alive…"

"Who all is left?" Jarek wondered, racking his brain.

"Hmm…" Kalin considered the question thoughtfully. "Well, we don't know who the cannon belonged to last night, but as far as we know, Districts 1 and 8 are still in the game."

"Bentley," Amara spoke up, suddenly remembering the sort-of celebrity and how they had chased him up the tree, "I haven't seen him pictured in the sky yet."

"And one of the Careers, too. I can't think of who else…" Kalin trailed off, frowning.

"I think we can expect to see the Career districts there. They won't pass up the opportunity to go on a killing spree," Amara shivered.

"Don't worry," Kalin told her. He could already see the tip of the golden Cornucopia appearing over the horizon, "We'll figure it out."

* * *

Ravish let out a loud yawn, blinking the sleep from her eyes. She zipped open her sleeping bag, bracing herself for the cold wave of air that swept across her skin. _Good. It's still dark out. _She thought, looking up at the cloudy sky. Dawn wouldn't be here for another hour.

Trying to brush the knots out of her hair with a hand, she cast a glance at Saffron. She could see the top of his blonde head poking out of his own sleeping bag. So much for keeping watch. "Good morning, Saffron!" She said in a gooey voice, reaching over and jabbing him with a finger.

"Silence!" Came a muffled response.

Ravish sighed. "Oh come on, it's feast day! And I'm not going to miss it for the world."

Saffron mumbled something about sleep being more important. Ravish grabbed the bottom end of the sleeping bag and dumped him out into the snow. He just lay there in a heap, glowering at his fellow Career through sleepy blue eyes. Ravish picked up his katana and forced it into his hand. He just stared at it, uncomprehending.

"Come on, let's go!" Ravish exclaimed, pacing back and forth.

"Patience." Saffron muttered, forcing himself to sit up. He splashed some water on his face and drank a bit too, slowly waking up. Ravish was quivering with anticipation. She couldn't even eat, she was so excited. Waiting for her partner was a pain.

Finally, he stood up, looking fully rejuvenated. "I am ready." He said, swiping the air with his sword, "Let us proceed to the feast!"

* * *

After killing Emmett, a change had come over Bentley.

Instead of going to the feast, he began climbing the icy cliffs without faltering. His heart burned with determination, flooding his veins with adrenaline. He went as far as he could, making his way to the highest point of the arena.

_I've been so stupid, _He told himself, his face flushed red with effort as he pulled himself on a ledge to rest, _Just trying to survive isn't enough. I should have been killing. If I want to win, I have to fight. If I want to avenge Carson—_

His thoughts broke off abruptly as he remembered his brother. With everything that had happened in the past few days, he had almost forgotten about him. Tears pricked his eyes, blurring his view of the arena. His breath came out in short, visible puffs that drifted away on the cool breeze. He watched them go, finally realizing just how high he was.

_I'm almost to the top of the arena, _He realized, glancing upwards. For some reason, he found himself wanting to go as high as he could. So he adjusted his backpack a little bit tighter and continued climbing. Sometimes his feet slipped out from under him, but he kept pulling himself up with his strong arms.

His muscles burned with effort. He could feel sweat dripping down his back. But he didn't stop. Just as he made it to the top, the ground shook under him, causing him to nearly let go of the cliff. Instead, he gave a final heave and pulled himself onto the side. He lay there, gasping for breath, wondering what had just happened.

He lifted his head to look at the arena. Everything seemed so small from way up here. The Cornucopia was just a tiny gold point amidst the barren landscape. The ice side, with its white blanket of snow, contrasted greatly with the fire side and its rivers of lava. The molten streams all branched out from a small cone volcano that stuck up like a pimple among smaller cliffs.

_It's a huge crater. _Bentley realized, although there was no surprise there. He scanned the horizon, realizing that snow lined the outer edges of the arena. _The fire side must have been altered. _He turned around and saw tundra stretching as far as the eye could see. Unimpressed, he looked back to the crater, searching for the tiny moving dots that represented tributes.

He found himself subconsciously searching for the Careers. Those disgusting teenagers that killed for sport. The ones that were like those that had murdered Bridon. He would never forgive them.

Bentley strained his eyes to pick up some sort of movement, but he could see no one. _I don't know where you are… _He thought, thinking of Zane, the Career who had filled Bridon's spot, _But I swear, I will find you…and I will kill you.  
_

* * *

Angela, meanwhile, was hanging out in a tree on the ice side, as close to the temperate zone as she could get. She wanted desperately to go to the feast and fill up her empty stomach. She hadn't eaten in days and a simple climb had proved difficult for her. But she knew it would be dangerous. So she climbed to the top of a pine tree and hid there, holding a perfect view of the Cornucopia. Here, she could see all of the action.

She stayed there for a long time, watching the clouds lighten as the sun rose. She couldn't spot any tributes, and felt a ray of hope that no one would show up and the food would be left to her. But she scolded herself, knowing full well that her enemies were in hiding, waiting for the moment the food would appear.

At some point, she saw an alliance of three making their way over. She tried to follow them with her eyes, but they were quickly lost among the dark shadows cast by the rocks. She realized that this was the alliance that had invited her to join their ranks. They were still hanging on.

_I wish I had joined them… _Angela thought, a wave of regret washing over her. Her stomach rumbled in vicious agreement.

Suddenly, Angela's ears picked up the hum of the hovercraft. She couldn't help but feel excited as she watched the claw lower carefully and place a long table full of food on the ground. Eight chairs were quickly placed around it and then the claw zipped back up into the clouds, out of sight.

Angela gave an amused snort at the sight of the chairs. _Seriously? Do they think we're all going to sit down and share a meal together or something?_

But then she tensed up, eager to see what was coming next. For a few minutes, everything was completely silent. She could see no movement among the rock-dotted landscape. She was seriously considering climbing down the tree and going in to grab a bite, when she spotted two figures appear from the fire side. They were sprinting towards the table at a blinding speed.

At the same time, two more tributes came running in from the ice side, coming at an angle so that the Cornucopia blocked their view of the other two. They were going to converge right at the table.

A malicious grin spread across Angela's face. She settled down, leaning her back against the tree trunk. _This is gonna be good…_

* * *

Just as Hapi and Zane reached the table, Saffron and Ravish rounded the Cornucopia. The two parties froze, both standing at either end of the table. Between them lay a delicious feast. At the center of the table was a luscious turkey that sent up wafts of warmth that made their mouths water. Around it was a bowl of mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce, and all sorts of rolls from different districts. A small stack of plates lay neatly on the tablecloth, just waiting for the tributes to grab one and take a seat.

But that was the last thing on anyone's mind. The two alliances were standing there, eyes locked, muscles tense. Ravish and Zane were sharing a stare down while Hapi grinned at Saffron, who scowled in return.

"I had rather hoped that you would come." Hapi told him, scraping his two knives together.

Saffron glowered at Hapi. "The revolting half-breed." He said through gritted teeth, "I am fortunate that I did not contract rabies after our last encounter."

A sly smile crept across Ravish's face as she looked at each tribute in turn. "Oh, Zane…" She said in the sweetest voice she could muster, "What are you doing with this boy? You should be with us, back on the Career alliance. _We're _your teammates."

Hapi suddenly grew nervous. His eyes flicked worriedly between Zane and Ravish and he took one step back, as if preparing to flee. But Zane glared at Ravish and growled, "The Career alliance is over. You made sure of that yourself. Besides, I would be dead if not for Hapi."

"The Career alliance _isn't _over," Ravish argued, narrowing her eyes dangerously, "If you refuse us, then I'll have no choice but to kill you."

Zane gave a humorless laugh. "I can see right through your façade. You're scared. You're not sure if you can defeat Hapi and I, so you want to turn me against him. But I know as soon as he's dead, you'd turn on me. I'm not stupid."

Ravish's smile faltered for a moment. But then she quickly regained control and suggested, "Well, okay then. Here's another idea…how about a temporary truce? We sit down, eat our fill, and _then _we can fight."

"No," Saffron snapped, pointing his sword at their enemies, "I refuse to share a meal with these mongrels! We will fight, and whoever comes out victorious shall dine!"

"I agree with Saffron." Zane murmured, not taking his gaze off Ravish.

Ravish drew back her lips, baring her teeth at him, "You're going to wish you hadn't."

Suddenly Hapi reached forward and slowly scooped up the bowl of mashed potatoes. Everyone snapped their heads toward him at the sudden movement. He held up the bowl with a friendly smile, as if he were going to suggest that they dine together. Then, in one quick movement, he brought it back and heaved it straight at Saffron's head.

It was a direct hit. The mashed potatoes splattered all over his face, blinding him. He reached up and swiped the bowl off of his face. It clattered to the ground and burst into pieces. "I will ruin you!" He shrieked, spitting out a mouthful of the thick side dish.

Hapi was already flying at him, armed with his two longest knives. Saffron, half-blinded by potatoes, heard him coming and blocked with his katana. At the same time, Ravish lunged for Zane, going to strike him with her rapier, but he grabbed a chair and blocked it.

Ravish drew back, looking for an opening to attack. Zane held the chair up protectively, disregarding the stitch in his side. Whenever she drew close to attack, he thrust the chair in between them, jabbing her with the legs. She flinched, hissing like a snake.

Saffron and Hapi were going toe to toe with their sword and knives, but each was fighting on the defensive. Hapi was laughing maniacally as he brought both of his knives down at once. Saffron blocked with his sword, catching Hapi's knives with a loud scrape. They froze there, weapons pressing against one another. Their arms quivered, straining to break through the other's defenses and send them reeling.

"This is the best you can do?" Hapi laughed, an amused grin stretched across his face, "I knew I shouldn't have expected much from a filthy _mongrel_."

Saffron's eyes burned with rage as he ripped his sword away and brought it up in one quick movement, aiming to behead Hapi. The Asian sprang backwards a few feet, one of his hands disappearing into his vest as he did so. Then he pulled out one of his smaller throwing knives, bringing back his arm to throw it.

Saffron braced himself, preparing to dodge. Hapi's eyes flicked to where Ravish was fighting Zane, a battle that was going nowhere fast. Before Saffron could cry out a warning, he had already flung the knife at the back of Ravish's head.

But with blinding speed, she turned at the last moment, raising her shield. The knife struck it harmlessly and fell to the ground. But that was just the opening that Zane had been waiting for.

Flinging the chair aside, he barreled towards Ravish, swinging his sword. She turned, raising her rapier to block his advance, but she was one second too slow. He crashed into her with his entire body weight, plunging his sword into her chest. A sharp gasp emitted from her lungs and her brown eyes went wide with shock.

"Ravish!" Saffron's cry was full of anguish.

Ravish's back arched gracefully and she sunk to the ground. Zane pulled his sword out of her and it shone with blood. Saffron took a step forward, preparing to go to her aid when he heard the cannon fire. Sorrow welled up from within him, but his instinct for self-preservation was stronger.

Without hesitating, he turned and started running. But it didn't matter. Hapi could already see the knife flying through the air and sinking into the back of Saffron's neck. Smiling, he brought his arm up to throw it.

With perfect aim, it went zinging through the air, straight for the fleeing Career. But, as if expecting it, Saffron ducked his head at the last moment and it sailed by harmlessly.

Cursing loudly, Hapi started giving chase, reaching into his vest for another knife. Before he could even get a grip on it, he saw Saffron's body convulse. The Career let loose a cry of pain as if he had been struck by an invisible enemy.

Then Hapi spotted the arrow that protruded from his chest. It only took him a second to piece together what was happening.

He whipped around and began running back the way he had come, his eyes wide with panic.

"GET IN THE CORNUCOPIA!"

**Cliffhanger!**

**RIP Ravish. This chick was awesome. Definitely one of my favorites. I was so sad to see her go, but she died as she lived, going down fighting. And there's no doubt that she would be happy about that. After all, she would have rather died in the pursuit of greatness than die without achieving anything worthwhile. And she certainly did.**


	28. The White Dove

**HOO-RAH I finished writing the Games! All that remains is the recap and the Victory Tour!  
**

**Another early update; I need to stop spoiling you guys! But I'm having a sleepover tonight and I wanted to be able to come home and see my inbox filled with reviews. Anyways...  
**

…**I have been putting off writing this chapter for far too long. Even though it pains me to do so, the show must go on. I seriously think you guys are going to hate me by the time this story is over and 23/24 tributes are dead. Just keep the insults to a minimum, lest my fragile heart shatter like a maiden's crystal glass dropped by an unkind lover.  
**

Zane's head shot up, his face full of alarm. He was crouched over Ravish, having pried her shield off of her arm. "What is it? What's wrong?!" He demanded as Hapi darted past him into the golden horn.

In response, an arrow came flying out of nowhere. It missed Zane's head by inches and bounced off the metal plating of the Cornucopia. Without skipping a beat, Zane followed Hapi to safety. Once inside, he grabbed the table that contained the feast and flipped it onto its side, making a barrier between them and their attackers. The plates and food went crashing to the ground.

Both of them crouched on the other side of the table, panting. The rocks were splattered with food. "What should we do?" Zane asked, holding his side.

"Start filling the backpacks." Hapi motioned to the food in front of them. "Eat some of it too, if you can. Hurry."

Zane began to fill the empty backpacks he had brought. Hapi was trying to peek out and spot their attackers. "I can't see." He muttered. He placed his hands on the top of the table to look over the side.

"Don't-!" Zane started to protest.

Hapi ducked back down just as another arrow whizzed over his head. He looked mildly amused. "Just like playing the ninja game." He said cheerfully.

Zane snatched up the arrow and broke it in half, rendering it useless. Then he went back to stuffing the backpacks full of turkey, vegetables, and more. Every few seconds he would shove a handful into his mouth, eating it ravenously. Hapi kept peeking over the edge of the table, as if trying to provoke their enemies into wasting more arrows. But after two failed shots, they never did.

"They're going to wait us out." He said matter-of-factly.

Zane hoisted one of the packs onto his back, having finished cramming it with food. There was still a good deal of it spread on the rocks at their feet, but that was as much as they could carry. "So what should we do?" He wondered, despising the feeling of being trapped.

Hapi stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I'll think of something."

Not far from the mouth of the Cornucopia, Kalin, Amara, and Jarek were hidden among the rocks. Kalin had risen to his feet, pointing his crossbow at the table that hid the other two tributes. "We've got 'em now. They can't stay in there forever…" He grunted.

"Kalin…the other Career is gone!" Jarek said suddenly, his voice full of desperation.

Kalin spared a glance to see that Saffron had mysteriously vanished. But then he returned his attention to the Cornucopia, saying, "Don't worry about it. I don't give him long. The two in the Cornucopia are the ones we want."

Trying to be brave, Amara reached for an arrow, but Kalin caught the movement and told her to hold on to her ammo. "What are you going to do?" She asked, "The boy with the red hair has throwing knives. It might be dangerous to go running in."

Kalin's eyes were narrowed. It was clear to see that he was deep in thought. "I know. But I'm not going to let them escape."

Jarek was quivering with anticipation. "Let's go for it!" He declared, raising the knife in his hand.

Amara hesitated. "Wait. Let's think this through."

"There's no time," Jarek insisted, "Come on, Kalin. What do you say?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out. He stood there, gaping as the table at the mouth of the Cornucopia rose off the ground and began moving on its own. At the bottom of it, they could see little feet that guided the table along.

"They're using it as a shield!" Jarek shouted.

"Come on!" Kalin growled, leaping over the rocks and starting to run towards the escaping tributes.

The table paused as Hapi popped out from behind it to grab one of his discarded knives. Then he snatched up one of Kalin's arrows. Kalin stopped, raising his crossbow. Amara and Jarek shot past him. He let an arrow fly, but Hapi leaped back behind his shield and they took off. Amara shakily aimed an arrow, but Hapi and Zane were too well protected. It harmlessly struck the table, and the two continued with their flawless getaway.

Once at a safe distance, they dropped the table and sprinted away, running to the fire side. Kalin called his alliance back.

"Aren't we gonna chase them?" Jarek asked.

"I only have two arrows left." Kalin said, looking disapprovingly at the broken arrows scattered at his feet, "I'm not going to waste them. Besides, we should eat. There's still some left."

They quickly gathered at the mouth of the Cornucopia, snatching up the scraps that Hapi and Zane had left behind. The entire turkey was gone and mashed potatoes had been smeared into the dirt, but there were still bits of stuffing, niblets of corn, and other particles of food that tasted incredibly sweet on their tongues. There had been a closed pitcher of water that the other two had made off with, but they had left behind a pitcher of sparkling grape juice.

The three of them wolfed down the remains of the food and split the drink three ways, leaving some left over. After doing so, they hid themselves inside the Cornucopia, prepared to do battle with any tributes that came by looking for scraps.

* * *

Saffron was stumbling along in the snow, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. In one hand, he carried his sword. The other was pressed to his chest, trying to stem the flow of blood. Had the arrow been one more inch to the right, it would have pierced his heart.

Instead, it continued to beat, pumping blood through his veins and out through this deep wound that had cut straight through him. Knowing that removing the arrow would only bring death quicker, Saffron hurried back to the hot springs where their supplies were hidden.

But it was a long trek. Snow was beginning to fall in heavy flakes, clouding his vision. He quickly became lost. Saffron came to a halt, shivering with cold. The snow was more than a foot here, and steadily piling up. Blood seeped out from beneath his fingertips and froze on his skin. It was clotting, but he felt terribly cold and weak. Even his sword had fallen from his grasp, somewhere behind him.

He turned his head, wondering if he should go back. The sudden movement made him feel dizzy. Something dark caught his eye. A dark path of crimson droplets stained the snow behind him. His blood. The blood that was supposed to be purer than any other's…and yet, it all looked the same.

Confusion overwhelmed his mind as a strange feeling of déjà vu stole over him.

_I've seen this before… _He thought, slightly swaying, _Where have I seen this?_

The image of scarlet blood staining pure white feathers flashed in his mind. The dying dove he had held in his hands. It looked exactly like the snow.

Grief welled up from within him as memories came flooding back. The space where his piano once stood. The dead birds lying in the bottom of a trash can. Seeing his father for, what he now knew, was the last time.

"_I've decided that your fate lies with the Hunger Games…You will win and bring honor to the Le Bel family." _

Saffron gave a strangled laugh and sunk to his knees. Tears bunched at the corners of his eyes, but froze there before they could break free. He tried to stand back up, but his limbs felt indescribably heavy. He couldn't move them.

"I'm so sorry, Father…" He choked out, knowing that his father would surely loathe him for this. After all, his very life had been dedicated to winning the Hunger Games. If he didn't win, then…he was only a filthy, low-born mongrel.

He closed his eyes, a sad, regretful smile creasing his lips as he acknowledged this.

_Goodbye, Father. At least I will not be alive to suffer your disappointment._

* * *

Bentley had sat and watched the feast from afar. He knew they were fighting. He could hear the cannon declare that one had fallen. Children were down there, dying.

_Good, _He thought, _Let's hope the boy from District 2 is one of them._

Then, realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. The cruel thoughts he had just harbored sunk in. He knew then that he had become what the Capitol had always wanted him to be. A bloodthirsty tribute, seeking revenge for the brother that had died a year ago.

He had _refused _to play into their game. But he had unknowingly done so anyways. He had been prepared to go out and start killing innocent kids. Already, he had murdered without a second thought.

He bowed his head, holding his face in his heads. His shoulders shook with grief. Now more than ever, he wanted out. He wanted to go home. He wanted to see his mom again, and Ronnie. He wanted Carson to be there too, and his father. He just wanted to be whole again.

Sniffling, Bentley lowered his hands. The glowing light under his skin caught his attention. He reached over and traced a finger around the bump that gave away the presence of his tracker. With this under his skin, he was a prisoner. Even if he won, and the tracker was removed, he would _always _be a prisoner.

He lifted his head and looked back to the stretch of tundra behind him. Snow had started to fall. The tundra seemed to go on and on until it disappeared into a fine, white mist. Determination suddenly flared up from within Bentley, warming him all the way to his fingertips. He stood up, facing out into the cold blankness, the handle of his axe gripped firmly in his hand.

_Who's to say I can't try to escape one more time?_

* * *

"That. Was. Awesome!" Zane laughed, slapping his backpack down onto the floor of the cave. Chuckling, he reached inside and removed a whole roast turkey. It was still warm and filled their quarters with its enticing scent. "Let's dig in!" Zane declared, mouth watering. He ripped off a drumstick and handed it to Hapi.

"Here you go, Keata!" Hapi proclaimed cheerfully, holding it out.

Zane rolled his eyes, cramming a fistful of corn into his mouth. Hapi knew Zane didn't seem to care much for Keata, but she still needed to be fed whether he liked it or not.

Keata was standing at the mouth of the cave, her eyes narrowed. A small growl sounded deep in her throat. Before Hapi could try and coax her in, she whipped around and shot away.

"Keata, come back!" Hapi ordered, chasing her, "You need to eat!"

Keata ignored him, running steadily alongside the cliff. Hapi knew he couldn't catch her, and it was dangerous to go yelling through the arena. Just as he was about to give up, Keata skidded to a halt, ears pricked. Hapi trotted up to stand next to her, looking around in bewilderment.

Then he spotted a familiar sight. A parachute was drifting towards him once more, although this one looked a bit different than the first one. It was much smaller than the one that had contained Keata. Hapi dropped the turkey leg and caught it with both hands. Keata pounced on the meat, tongue lolling, eyes bright. She gnawed on the bone, watching curiously as Hapi pried open the container.

Inside was a small, dark bottle. Hapi picked it up, observing the powdery substance inside, wondering what it was. It was a strange purplish-blue color, unlike anything he had ever seen. As he turned it over, he noticed a small picture of a skull and crossbones that could only mean one thing. Then he spotted the note. In big dark letters, it read: _Trust no one. _

Paranoia chilled Hapi to the bone. Why? Did his mentor know something he didn't? This was obviously directed at Zane. Zane was the one who couldn't be trusted.

_And now he has his sword back. _Hapi thought, fear making him feel sick to the stomach, _He's going to kill me. I know it. No, no, stay calm. Everything will be fine._

Hapi cautiously tucked the bottle away in his vest, knowing that he would have to keep it out of sight. Then he motioned to Keata to follow him back to the cave.

"There you are." Zane said, once he spotted Hapi. He was taking giant gulps of water. "Did you find Keata?"

Hapi squinted at Zane, wondering if he was joking. "Yes…she's standing right next to me." Keata was glaring at Zane, the fur on her neck bristling. She gave a soft snarl, then darted past Zane to curl up on top of Hapi's parka.

"Oh, sorry. I'm kind of out of it." Zane quickly recovered, "Why don't you have some food?"

Hapi smiled and settled down to eat their hard-earned meal. Just as he was picking up the pitcher of water, Zane rose to his feet, sword in hand, and began walking out of the cave. Hapi flinched as he went by.

"Where are you going?!" He said sharply, reaching into his vest and grabbing a knife.

Zane frowned. "Um…I have to go do…something."

"What?! What are you going to do?" Hapi demanded ferociously.

"I'm going to take a piss, okay?!" Zane growled irritably, "Now put your knife away!"

Hapi immediately relaxed. He lowered the knife and slipped it back into his vest. A sheepish grin stretched across his face. "Oh. I'm sorry."

Zane narrowed his eyes. "Yeah. Sure." He said, and continued on his way.

* * *

After seeing Saffron flee the feast, Angela watched the rest of the battle proceed without him. When the action was over, she left the safety of her tree and tried to locate Saffron's footprints. It was surprisingly easy, despite the fact that a steady stream of snow had started falling from the sky. She noticed, with a small amount of disgust that he had left a trail of blood that contrasted sharply with the pure white powder.

She followed it for a long time, noticing places where he had staggered or fallen to his knees. At one point, she even found his sword. She tried to lift it, but it was a bit too heavy for her, so she decided to stick with her knife. As she continued on, a deep fog was starting to set in and it was becoming harder and harder to see. The trail was quickly covered, but Angela kept going, hopeful that she was on the right path.

Just when she was about to give up, she found him.

He was lying on his back, covered by a light layer of snow. Ice crystals were nestled in his hair, and his lips were blue. Although half frozen, he looked surprisingly peaceful, with his eyes closed as if in a deep slumber. Angela could see the snow around his chest was deep red in color, as if he were bleeding out through the heart. She looked at it closer, but she could see no movement. He might as well have been dead.

But she knew otherwise. The cannon hadn't gone off yet. Angela pulled out her knife, wondering what the quickest way to kill someone was. She crouched down beside Saffron and pressed the tip of the blade to where she knew his heart was and hesitated.

Her eyes happened to flick towards his face and her breath caught in her throat. Saffron was awake, looking at her with icy blue eyes that were glazed with pain. There was no contempt, no pleading for death…just a dull acceptance.

Taking a deep breath, Angela prepared to drive the knife into his heart…but found that she couldn't. She tried summoning up all of the hatred for the Careers she felt, thinking back to the time he had called her a peasant. It did her no good. She just couldn't bring herself to kill another person. She drew back, reaching up and wiping at her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, hating herself for this display of weakness.

But Saffron had already closed his eyes and drifted back into unconsciousness. Angela stood up, her head swimming with emotions. She hoped that his death would be quick.

Forcing herself to walk away, she headed back to the temperate zone. Every minute for the rest of the day, she willed his cannon to announce that he had passed on. But it never did. She cursed herself for being weak, for not being able to kill him, even though he was obviously suffering.

As night fell, she drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep that was haunted by blood and snow. Sometime past midnight, the sound of the cannon jolted her awake, letting her know that Saffron had found his peace.

**RIP Saffron. I suppose I could go on and say how much I loved writing this character, but he pretty much wrote himself. I never make my characters win, although I did think up an alternate ending to if he won. He would refuse to sell his body for the Capitol, resulting in his family being killed. It would grieve him, but at the same time, it would free him from his father. Ironically he probably would have had the happiest ending of any tribute. Either way, he became free in the end.**


	29. Escape

**I was going to have the poll results here. Unfortunately, it has been brought to my attention that there have been instances of hate mail being sent around. I won't name any names…but I know who you are. If you have hate mail, you can take it up with me. I won't tolerate **_**anyone **_**harassing others over the sake of a fanfiction. This certainly doesn't make me want to write another SYOT. Seriously. I am so disappointed. **

Hapi and Zane were eager to see the faces that would appear in the sky that night. The anthem started up quite abruptly, announcing that the tributes had lived through yet another day. Then the first face appeared, revealing who hadn't been so lucky.

When Hapi saw Hera's sad eyes looking back at him, he felt a flash of regret.

"Sorry about your district partner." Zane mumbled, not sounding very sorry at all.

Hapi frowned, overlooking it. "It's fine. At least I didn't have to be the one to kill her." He knew he would have, in order to survive. Hera had to die one way or another.

Zane gave a heavy sigh. "Only her and Ravish. I wonder what happened to Saffron…"

Hapi could feel hatred bubble in his stomach. The nasty aristocrat had managed to escape, even after being shot with an arrow. "It doesn't matter," He said, a cruel smile turning up the corners of his lips, "We've destroyed the Career pack. All that remains is the alliance of three that attacked us at the Cornucopia."

"And what are we gonna do about them, huh?" Zane said dryly, sucking on his fingers that were stained with cranberry sauce.

Hapi laced his fingers together and rested his chin on them thoughtfully. He thought back to their escape, when he had caught a glimpse of their enemies. "It won't be hard to break them up. We aim for the large boy with the arrows—he's the biggest threat." He said slowly, "We'll sneak up on them…I'll knife him in the back of the neck. Once he's dead, we can take the other two down with no problem."

Zane nodded, excitement growing from within him. "Awesome. And then…?"

"We part ways." Hapi said simply, "Peacefully."

"Sounds good." Zane agreed, "And the next time we see each other, we're enemies."

"Exactly." Hapi said, grinning eagerly, "I'm so glad we understand each other."

* * *

As nighttime approached, a blizzard set in. Snow came down in thick sheets of white, half-blinding Bentley, the only tribute on the ice side. He could barely see more than a few feet in front of him. The cold bit through his multiple layers, chilling him to the bone. When the anthem sounded, he could barely hear it. It was impossible to make out the faces of the departed tributes.

_It's time. _He decided.

He dug the edge of his axe's blade into his forearm, holding back a cry of pain. He quickly cut out the tracker and let it fall to the ground. Blood spurted from the wound, but he quickly bandaged it up, piling it on thick so that it wouldn't bleed through.

Then he began to run. He took off into the raging snowstorm and didn't look back. As far as the Capitol knew, he was still sitting at the top of that cliff, shrouded in a white blanket. Or maybe they would think he was dead. After all, the tracker was no longer embedded in his warm skin. It was lying in a pile of cold snow, quickly becoming covered.

Bentley listened hard for his cannon, but no sound reached his ears except for the constant howling of the wind. It blasted his hood back, making his face go numb with cold. But he kept going, bent on escaping the arena. He didn't care if he would wind up freezing to death in the wilderness. He refused to be apart of this game any longer. He didn't want to die on TV, for the world to see. He didn't want his family to witness his death, just like he had been forced to witness Carson's.

No. He would simply cease to exist. He would leave everyone wondering where he had gotten. They would never know whether he had died or escaped. He would live on his own, with an axe, a lighter, and a crude fishing pole for company.

He wondered how far he would have to run to be clear of the arena. Surely they wouldn't place cameras all the way out here. Either way, he kept going. His lungs burned with the effort and sweat covered his body, but he pushed on. He just wanted to be free. Nothing else mattered.

He would keep going.

* * *

Amara slowly opened her eyes. She was curled on the hard ground under the shelter of the Cornucopia, pressed against the wall. Her back ached and something was prodding her abdomen. Jarek had snuggled up against her in his sleep, subconsciously seeking warmth. But he had dug his knee into her stomach, making her quite uncomfortable and causing her to awaken.

She quietly peeled Jarek off of her, shivering as a cool breeze rustled her dark hair. She spotted Kalin sitting at the opening of the Cornucopia, his silhouette barely visible in the darkness. Adjusting her eyes, Amara could see snow flurries drifting down from above, melting as soon as they touched the ground.

She crawled over to Kalin, doing her best not to wake Jarek. Kalin cast a glance in her direction, then turned back to keep watch. Amara settled down next to him, wrapping her arms around her legs and holding them close.

"Brrr…" She shivered, snuggling deeper into her jacket.

"Cold?" Kalin said, looking amused.

Amara nodded.

Kalin held out an arm to her and she scooted over, pressing her body against his. She immediately felt warmer. "Thank you." She said in a quiet voice.

"No problem." Kalin murmured, his eyes distant. "Not much longer now. Only seven left."

Amara closed her eyes, trying to block out the fear she felt at the prospect of dying. "What are we going to do?" She whispered.

"What we've _been _doing." Kalin responded evenly.

"No, I mean…when are we going to go our separate ways?"

A long silence followed her words. Kalin's mouth was pressed into a thin line as he considered this. "I don't know." He admitted, "You can leave now, if you want."

Amara thought about it. She would no longer be with her friends. She would no longer have protection. Everyone would be her enemy…even Kalin. "I don't want that." She murmured, tears budding in her eyes. Once again, her emotions were getting the better of her. She hastily wiped her eyes, repeating, "I don't want to leave you."

Kalin had turned towards her, his eyebrows lifted in surprise. Amara met his gaze and could feel her heart going out to him.

"Kalin…you're _good_. I know we've only known each other for two weeks, but you're one of the kindest people I've ever met. And I…I really, really like you." Amara could feel herself blushing. She buried her face into her knees, trying to hide it.

Kalin reached out and gently touched her shoulder. She looked up into his warm, green eyes and could feel her heart melting. "Thanks, Amara." He said softly, smiling down at her, "I like you too."

Amara's gaze drifted down from his eyes to his lips. She imagined leaning in to kiss him. Instead, she sprang to her feet, spluttering, "I'm sorry!" Then she turned on her heel and went back inside the Cornucopia, leaving behind a confused Kalin.

Amara lay down on her side, facing away from him. Tears spilled down her face and onto the dusty ground below. _Stupid, stupid! _She told herself, trying to keep from sobbing, lest Kalin see her this way, _He's going to die. Or you're going to die. Either way, you can never be together._

_But that doesn't change the way I feel about him. _A voice inside her whispered. And she knew it was true. The butterflies in her stomach, the way her heartbeat quickened when she stood next to him…in such a short time, she had completely fallen for him.

Amara rolled over and once again observed his dark silhouette. _I wish I could rip my heart out… _She thought, a fresh wave of tears shimmering in her eyes, _then I would never have to feel the pain of losing him._

* * *

As the night forged on, Zane kept guard so that Hapi could rest. But he kept thinking about what his ally had said, about his plan to take down the other alliance. It was a good plan. But what would happen afterwards?

Zane shifted his weight, prodding his stitches tenderly. The pain always seemed to fade whenever he set his mind on the battle at hand. But when he was sitting around like this, it always crept back, itching him, making him dreadfully uncomfortable. Zane cast a glance at Hapi's sleeping form.

_If it came down to a fight between him and me…who would win? _

The answer to that question came to him instantaneously. He knew what Hapi was capable of. They would part ways peacefully, but the red-haired boy would easily relocate him. He would sneak up on him, knife in hand…it would be a quick, clean kill. Zane's sword was no match for a long-ranged weapon such as that.

His heart sunk at the thought of it. Dying after coming so far? No. He wouldn't stand for it.

Zane looked back at Hapi, then to his heavy sword that lay at his side. _I could kill him right now. _He realized, _I don't need him to take out that other alliance. It's like he said: If I can kill the boy with the arrows, the other two will be a piece of cake._

Slowly, he reached out and gripped the blade by the handle. The pain in his stomach ebbed away and was replaced by a fierce hunger for blood. Then he grabbed Ravish's shield, securing that to his other arm. He quietly stood up, the sword making a light scraping sound as he did so. Then he crept towards Hapi, placing his feet down as silently as possible.

Hapi shifted ever so slightly and Zane froze, fearing that he had woken him. But his eyes remained closed. Zane could see he had his hands buried inside his vest, no doubt wrapped around his two dueling knives. Too bad he wouldn't be able to pull them out in time.

Standing over the sleeping tribute, Zane brought his sword up, preparing to bring it down into Hapi's throat. He took a deep breath, taking careful aim. Then he plunged the blade downwards. The scrape of metal greeted his ears as Hapi whipped out his two knives and blocked the sword from entering his body.

Zane bit back a cry of shock. Hapi's normally squinted eyes were wide open and bloodshot beyond belief. His pupils were dark pinpoints of hatred that bore directly into Zane's. Hapi's lip curled up into a menacing smile.

"You shouldn't have done that."

He jabbed one of the knives directly at Zane's face, but the Career quickly blocked with his shield. With blinding speed, Hapi rolled off of his makeshift bed and dodged around Zane. Roaring angrily, Zane thrust the sword at him, aiming to stab him through the heart. Hapi leaped to his feet, holding the knives up defensively. But Zane was high on the offense, attempting to back Hapi into a corner and run him through.

Realizing what Zane was doing, Hapi turned and charged for the entrance with his former ally hot on his heels. He could feel the blade carving through the air, missing him by inches as he fled.

As he ran, Hapi reached into his vest, feeling around for one of his smaller throwing knives. There was only one left. Zane was far too close for comfort, and he had a shield to boot. Throwing this knife would be a waste.

"Keata, come!" Hapi shouted, tucking his knives away and doubling his speed. This was not a battle he could win.

Zane charged after him, but his wound protested loudly. He tried to ignore it and focus on killing, but Hapi quickly outdistanced him. Cursing loudly, Zane dug his sword into the nearby cliff wall out of pure frustration.

Now, he was in an even worse position than ever.

_No… _He told himself, his heart burning with rage, _I have all of the food and supplies. I'll relocate. And then, I'll kill every last stinking tribute in this arena._

* * *

Before the sun came up, the tribute alliance left the safety of the Cornucopia and embarked back to the ice side, knowing that it was unsafe to stay in one place too long. Angela watched them go, feeling terribly dizzy. Her shriveled stomach ached and her throat was unbearably dry. She had been feasting on snow for the past few days. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten real food.

As soon as the alliance was out of sight, she shakily made her way over to the Cornucopia. She held a small spark of hope that some food from the feast would be left behind. But that spark was quickly snuffed out as she rounded the corner to see that nothing remained.

She fell to her hands and knees and crawled along the ground, searching for some scrap of food. She thought she saw a drop of gravy and ran her tongue along the rocks, but she only tasted dirt. It coated the inside of her mouth and made her feel even thirstier.

Miserable, she dragged herself inside the Cornucopia and curled up into a tight little ball. As she did so, the ground rumbled beneath her, but she passed it off as her stomach. She blinked back tears, telling herself that she was strong. She would get on. Surely some kind sponsor would feel sorry for the poor, starving 12-year old.

"Please send food," Angela whimpered, her voice cracking, "Or water. Please. Someone. Help me…please…"

* * *

_Boom._

The sound of the cannon jolted Bentley awake. He was instantly blinded by an excruciating amount of white and had to shield his eyes. He sat there, blinking, trying to recall what had happened as he regained his vision.

He had kept running until he collapsed out of pure exhaustion. And somehow, he had made it through the night. He shakily rose to his feet, shaking the snow off of his shoulders. He felt soaked to the skin, and began shivering uncontrollably.

_Hey…the ground is moving. _He realized dully. He rubbed at his eyes, thinking it was some sort of hallucination. But when he lowered his hands, he realized that he was looking at a great expanse of churning water. He mouth dropped open in wonder. He had never seen anything like it. It seemed to stretch on for miles.

A surge of curiosity gave him the energy to continue towards it. As he did, the ground grew slippery beneath him and he was careful to hold his footing. He walked right up to the edge of the water, staring down at it. It was dark in color, and it never stopped moving. Waves lapped at the edge of the ice, making peaceful splashing sounds.

Bentley looked back the way he had come and saw an endless stretch of tundra. He couldn't spot any part of the crater that was the arena. The sheer emptiness overwhelmed him, and he felt unbearably lonely for a moment. Then he had to wonder…had he escaped the Games?

He looked back out towards the ocean, a small amount of dread seeping into his mind. The wonderment he had felt at beholding this phenomenon disappeared. The ocean here was a natural barrier. It would keep him from going any further.

_At least there will be plenty of fish here… _He thought encouragingly, _And no tributes. Maybe I did escape the arena after all…_

He started to take off his heavy backpack and set it down when the cannon rang out a second time.

_Boom._

The ground seemed to shake under his feet, nearly throwing him off balance. He could hear the sound of cracking ice. Then it sounded a third time, once again causing the earth to quake. Bentley pitched forward and landed heavily on his stomach.

_Wait a second…that's no cannon._

He scrambled to get back on his feet, but his hands slipped uselessly on the ice. It shook underneath him, like some sort of miniature earthquake. All the while, the foreboding sound of ice cracking filled the air as something continuously rammed into it…

Then there was a sharp squelching sound as the chunk of ice Bentley was crouched on separated from the mainland and began to float out to sea. He gave a sharp cry of surprise and turned to jump back to safety. But then something emerged from the water, blocking his way and causing him to freeze on the spot.

It was like some sort of great fish, black and white in color. It had to be more than 20 feet in length, with a dorsal fin that was even taller than Bentley. The strange fish looked at him with a big black eye and opened a mouth, revealing a set of very large teeth. Then it disappeared back underwater, as quickly as it had come.

Bentley clung to his miniature iceberg, his heart pounding wildly. That hadn't been the cannon at all. It had been the sound of this oversized fish ramming its head into the ice, trying to bring him out to sea. _Shark? _He thought, thinking back to school and trying to figure out what this strange creature was, _No, it's a killer whale. That's what it is. It's not even a fish, it's a mammal. _He had the strong urge to start panicking, but he reminded himself that it couldn't get him as long as he stayed here on top of the water.

But then more fins emerged from the ocean's depths, slicing the surface as they swam around him. They were of all sizes—there had to be at least five. Four big ones, and one small one.

The whales kept bobbing in and out of the water, as if they were trying to get a good look at Bentley. He stared back at them, heart pounding. _Please don't kill me. _He begged silently.

As if hearing his thoughts, they collectively dove back into the depths of the ocean, disappearing beneath the surface. A minute went by peacefully. Bentley looked back to the shore, realizing that he had drifted a fair bit. It would be a cold, harrowing swim back. But there was no way he could stay out here.

He reached for his backpack, preparing to dive in, when his ice floe gave a sudden jerk. His hands slipped out from under him and he flopped pathetically onto his side.

The whales had returned. They were pushing the ice with their noses, forcing him farther and farther away from the shore.

"No!" He cried out, as if that could stop them.

It did. They stopped and darted away, swimming a good distance from the iceberg. The four adults lined up and faced Bentley. He briefly wondered if they were just playing with him.

Before he could consider this idea any further, the orcas collectively launched themselves towards him. They sped through the water, sending up a large wave as they did so. Bentley braced himself, digging his fingernails into the ice as far as they would go.

The saltwater crashed into him, nearly knocking him into the dark waters that surrounded him on all sides. But he hung on for dear life. A killer whale stuck its nose out of the water, opening its mouth as if it had been expecting to catch him.

It was then that Bentley realized that they weren't playing. They wanted to eat him. He stared, petrified, into that gaping mouth that could have swallowed him whole. The monstrous whale gave up and dipped back into the water. Bentley cast a terrified glance back towards shore. Already, the killer whales were regrouping, ready to have another go at him.

He couldn't keep this up forever. He _had _to get back to the mainland. Or at least try to.

Again, the whales came speeding across the water towards him, sending up yet another wave. As they passed harmlessly underneath him, one bobbed up again to catch him in its mouth. Just as it did so, he gave a great leap. He landed on its nose and jumped off into the water, before it could react.

He splashed down into the cold ocean. It seized his muscles in its frozen grip, paralyzing him for an instant. But determination won out, and he forced himself to start paddling. His heavy backpack and soaked clothing weighed him down, but he kept his gaze glued to the shore, refusing to give up.

Bentley wasn't even halfway there when he felt enormous jaws fix themselves around his legs, trapping them. For a moment, he flailed around in vain, trying to free himself from the killer whale's grip. But then, in one quick movement, it dragged him under.

Saltwater flooded his lungs. Bentley coughed and spluttered, trying to draw air, but only more water came in. His chest felt like it was on fire with pressure pushing in from all sides. The frigid water was quickly numbing his senses. He thrashed around blindly, wishing the whales would just kill him already.

He forced open his eyes, despite the pain it caused him, and looked up. He could see the surface of the water shimmering above him. But it was getting farther and farther away as he was dragged into the depths of the sea.

Bentley smashed his eyes shut, praying for death to take him now.

_Carson. I'll see you soon, brother._

**RIP Bentley. This guy was doomed from the start, considering he would be too obvious of a choice to win. But I enjoyed writing him and making references to the 42****nd****Games through him. He had a lot of sad moments that stood out, such as his interview. I think he died in one of the worst ways too :( Go to Carson now, Bentley.**

**Oh yeah. And yay for 400 reviews!**


	30. Haunted

**It's a little late, but here are the results for the poll on who you wanted to win:**

**1****st**** Jarek with 7 votes**

**2****nd**** Saffron, Hapi, and Kalin with 6 votes**

**3****rd**** Amara with 5 votes**

**4****th**** Ravish with 4 votes**

**5****th**** Zane and Bentley with 3 votes**

**6****th**** Angela with 2 votes**

**Aww, Jarek won! That makes me so happy for him. :) I bet he'd be super excited to know how much love there is for him. Ah, yes. And hungergames35, the creator of Baye, is starting up her very first Hunger Games SYOT too and would highly appreciate tributes. So feel free to help her out!**

**Anyways…please do leave your thoughts in the reviews after you finish this chapter. Band Camp is starting now, so I'll see you for the next update in a few days.**

After escaping from Zane, Hapi had run as far away as he could, stopping only when Keata had collapsed. Then he decided to rest in the shadows of a cliff. "I'm so sorry, Keata," He said, stroking her warm fur, "I didn't realize the heat was getting to you. We'll rest now."

She just looked up at him with tired eyes. Then she let out a deep sigh and fell asleep in his arms. Hapi sat there with her in his lap, rocking back and forth. He couldn't sleep. Paranoia had once again crept into his mind.

Zane had betrayed him. He hadn't stuck to the plan at all. Breaking promises…it was _unforgivable_.

"He's going to pay for this…" Hapi whispered in a rattled voice, "I'll kill him. I'll kill him." He reached into his vest and pulled out the bottle of poison.

_If only I had sprinkled this on his food. But he was my ally. I trusted he wouldn't break our deal. But he did. I'LL KILL HIM._

Hapi pried open the bottle, accidentally knocking into Keata with his elbow. She gave a small growl and crawled off of his lap to curl up on the ground, a little further away. Hapi paid her no mind. He brought the bottle up to his mouth, parting his lips. Then he started spitting into it. He filled it with saliva until his dry mouth had none left to spare.

Then he pulled out his three knives, running his tongue along the blades, a mad twinkle in his eye. He squeezed the smallest knife into the bottle and stirred, transforming the powder into a thick, tarlike substance. Then he coated his knives with it, breaking out into peals of laughter as he did so.

_Perfect. _He thought, eyeing the knives approvingly. He laid them out at his side, his hand resting on the handle of the lightest one.

And he waited.

* * *

Kalin hurriedly moved his alliance to the ice side, glancing around warily every so often. His second to last arrow was strung on his crossbow. Amara only had one left.

"Come on," Kalin grunted, urging them along.

Even though they had eaten well the day before, hunger had come back in full force. Their empty stomachs growled constantly, as if berating them for not coming away with more food.

Jarek lagged behind the other two, dragging his feet in the snow. "Can we take a break?" He asked quietly.

Kalin looked behind his shoulder. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed. "No," He said firmly, "We have to make sure we get as far away from that other alliance as possible."

"But we don't even know where they are!" Jarek protested, "And there was a cannon this morning. There's six left…I think."

"I'm pretty sure that's right," Amara confirmed, "We can check the anthem tonight, just to make sure."

Kalin gave a long sigh. Six left, with his alliance still hanging on. It was a miracle they had made it this far through the Games. He couldn't help but wonder whether or not they would be alive to hear the anthem and see the Capitol's victims tonight.

* * *

Knowing that Hapi would be looking for him, Zane had left the fire side at the earliest opportunity. Now he was well-hidden among the rock formation, watching the flat expanse of land that separated the lava from the snow. Rocks dotted the landscape, but Zane was keeping a sharp eye out for anyone that may have been darting between them.

Hours dragged on. Zane opened his larger backpack and ate some leftovers from the feast. He had hidden it among the rocks; the other backpack was light, containing only a bit of food, water, and the first aid kit. He had completely cleaned out the cave he and Hapi shared and taken all of the supplies to the rock formation.

Zane was sampling a roll from District 8 when he saw it. Movement on the horizon. He had seen a similar sight when Kelsea was sponsored her pain-killing pills.

It was a parachute, floating in from the south, straight towards him. He stood up, wondering who would want to sponsor him when he was so well off. He had a sword, a shield, food and water, a first aid kit, a grappling hook…

But then the parachute took a sudden drop in altitude. It sunk towards the ground and disappeared behind the Cornucopia.

Zane only felt confused for a brief moment. Then it dawned on him. Someone was hiding in the Cornucopia, and the parachute had just given away his or her position. That was the best sponsor gift he could have asked for—even if it wasn't for him.

He hastily shoved the heavier backpack away and strapped on the smaller one. Then he snatched up his sword and shield, and eagerly set off for the Cornucopia. As he approached it, he slowed his steps and treaded carefully. He sidled up to the Cornucopia and listened.

He could hear the other tribute open the parachute and give a small sigh of thanks. From the voice, he knew instantly that it was Angela. Memories came flooding back to him. The avalanche that had nearly killed the Career pack. Catching her spying, as they made plans on the rooftop. Above all, the way she had insulted them during her interview.

He could feel rage burning away at his insides as he remembered all of the times he had encountered Angela. Well, she was going to get it now.

Zane leaped around the corner, sword and shield at the ready. Angela's head whipped up from the meal of bread and fruit she had received. Her eyes widened in shock at the sight of the remaining Career.

Zane flashed a cruel smile at her. "Found you."

Angela didn't even have time to grab her knife, much less finish her food. She shot out of the Cornucopia, passing Zane on his shield-side so that he couldn't get at her as easily. But he wasn't interested in stealing her food. He didn't hesitate, and sprinted after her.

Feet pounding against the ground, Angela ran in the direction of the fire side. She easily leapt over a small stream of lava and kept running. She could see a field of geysers in the distance, and they scared her. She had never ventured to the fire side and had no idea where to go. This was unknown territory.

She selected a random path that snaked along the side of a cliff and began running along there. She cast a terrified glance back and saw that Zane was easily keeping up with her. She was more than a foot shorter than him, and he was bounding towards her with long, fast strides.

Mind going blank with fear, Angela tore her gaze away from him and kept running along the trail. As she went, the path dropped off to her right and the cliff rose higher on her left. There was nowhere else to run except straight.

But the warm air was quickly doing a number on her. Sweat seemed to gush from every pore and she felt as if she couldn't get enough air. Each step sent pain shooting up her legs.

_I can't run anymore…! _She thought, feeling desperate, _I have to hide._

Zane was completely focused on catching his prey. Angela zipped around a corner, and he didn't hesitate to follow. But as soon as he rounded the bend, he skidded to a halt. She had mysteriously vanished.

"Angela?" He called, looking around. The path ahead of him was empty. To the right was a drop off that plunged into lava. To the left, a cliff that any 12-year old would have had a difficult time scaling.

But she was nowhere to be found.

Zane smirked, suspecting that she was wedged among the rocks somewhere. He set off at a slow walk, talking in a loud voice, "I guess you must feel pretty special, managing to outlive most of the Careers, huh? Too bad you won't be able to defeat me. You're going to pay for your insults."

No response. Zane wasn't worried. Angela was a fool…he would just have to try a little bit harder.

"I'm going to make it painful, too," He went on, scanning the rocks for some sign of her, "Just think about it! All of Panem is going to see you die. Even your family and your friends…well, if you have any of those. But don't worry. On the Victory Tour, I'll make sure to say some nice things about you. 'Angela was a petulant little brat that was stupid enough to think she could take me on.' How does that sound?"

Angela was so angry that she was shaking. She knew Zane was trying to provoke her into showing herself. But she remained hidden, crammed into a small space along the cliff. Rocks pressed in from every side, making her feel trapped. She could hear Zane coming towards her. A few more steps and he would be right in front of her. There would be no escape.

"Come on Angela," Zane growled, coming closer and closer, "I know you're there. Show yourse-!"

Just as he appeared in front of her, Angela burst out of her hiding place and slammed into him with all of the strength she could muster. Zane staggered and his sword flew from his hand. It spun over the side of the cliff and down, down into the lava below.

"Yeah!" Angela bellowed, throwing up both of her middle fingers, "Eat it!"

Furious, Zane brought his shield smashing into the side of her head. She screamed as the force of it knocked her clean off her feet. She landed heavily on her back, but Zane was instantly on top of her, bludgeoning her repeatedly in the skull. Angela howled like a wild animal, digging her nails deep into her attacker's skin, but he was immune to the pain.

Blood flew off the end of the shield as he continued to bash Angela's head in. Each hit send waves of pain rippling through her body. She could feel her blood, warm and wet, running down her face and mixing with her tears. Her ear-piercing screams turned to pitiful wails. Her grip on Zane loosened and her arms dropped limply to the ground. With a final whimper, Angela went silent. The cannon confirmed her demise.

Zane rose to his feet, panting. His arms were bleeding from tiny indents, where Angela had dug in her nails. The District 1 shield was dented and spattered with dark clots of blood. Angela's face was nearly unrecognizable; mutilated beyond belief, coated in a thick layer of red.

Zane tore his gaze away, and glanced around nervously. Angela had been way too loud. Surely, this would draw unwanted attention from a certain someone who lurked on the fire side. But Zane was relieved to see that the cliffs were empty. There was no sign of anyone.

He quickly hurried away from the scene of the crime, intent on finding himself another weapon.

* * *

Hapi had endured a sleepless night. When the clouds began to grow lighter, he looked to Keata and said, "I guess Zane's not coming. We'll have to find him ourselves."

Keata didn't respond. She was curled in a tight ball, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Keata?" Hapi reached out and prodded her gently.

Her ears swiveled towards him in acknowledgement and she unsteadily rose to her paws. But there was something off. Her eyes were glazed and watery. They appeared to be looking right past him.

"Are you sick?" Hapi wondered, feeling concerned. He ran his hand through her fur, but she didn't react. Keata had never gotten sick before. He had no idea how to deal with it. That aside, he didn't have any food or water to give to her. "Here, let's go to the ice side. The snow will make you feel better."

He assumed that the hot weather was making her feel sick. After all, foxes usually thrived in colder climates. _I should have taken her health into consideration. _Hapi thought miserably, standing up and setting off.

Instead of bounding ahead like she usually did, Keata trailed behind him, her white-tipped tail dragging in the dust. Hapi's eyes darted around suspiciously, looking for any signs of the remaining tributes. He wanted to find Zane before _he _found _him_.

Suddenly, a high-pitched whimper reached his ears. He turned around to see Keata lying a few yards back in a huddle of fur. She had collapsed.

"Keata!" Hapi wailed, running to her side.

Her tail thumped a small greeting, but she remained on the ground. Feeling totally helpless, Hapi ran his hands all over her body, trying to figure out what was wrong. Her legs weren't broken. She couldn't have gotten dehydrated so fast. She just seemed to be sick for some unknown reason.

"Hang in there," He told her, trying to guide her back to her feet, "Just hang in there, Keata. We're going home soon. I promise."

He watched her take a few uneven steps. Then she stumbled and landed painfully on her side. Hapi threw his arms out, trying to cushion her fall.

"It's okay. You're okay," He said in a soothing voice, working his arms under her body and lifting her up, "I'll carry you. Everything's going to be fine."

Keata looked up at him through half-closed eyes. Then she reached up and nudged his chin with her nose. Hapi smiled down at her, but an uncontainable grief was threatening to overwhelm him. He couldn't understand why this was happening. But he knew he had to hurry and get her somewhere safe. She was depending on him.

So he set off, holding his fox close to his chest. Tears began to run down his face, half blinding him as he stumbled along. "Hang in there, Keata…" He kept whispering.

But her eyes had closed and she didn't show any sign of hearing him.

Hapi felt as if he were going in circles, stuck in a strange haze where time never passed. He couldn't seem to figure out how to get away from the fire side. Everywhere he looked, there was a cliff or a river of lava. He wished he had his grappling hook to climb up and get a better view. But he was hopelessly lost.

"I'm sorry, Keata, just a little longer…" He apologized, looking down at her.

It was then he realized that she had fallen limp in his arms.

"…Keata?"

He laid her gently on the ground, looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to wake up. She remained still. He felt her chest, expecting to hear the rapid heartbeat of a fox, but there was only silence. A fresh wave of tears began spilling down Hapi's face.

"Keata, no. You can't leave me too. You're all I have left. Please, Keata." He buried his face into her fur and cried. He scooped up her unmoving body and held it close, as if that could somehow bring her back to life.

He stayed like that for a long time, silently rocking back and forth, sobbing. Time ceased to exist. It was just him and the lifeless body of his beloved pet fox. He was all alone.

At this moment, Hapi felt something snap within him.

_Everyone's gone. _

Hapi laid Keata's body out on the ground, letting her limp tail fall from his hand.

_They all left me. Mom. Dad. Zane. Keata. They're all gone._

He reached into his vest, running his finger along the handle of one of his knives, reassuring himself that he still had them. Then he set off.

_I have to kill Dad for leaving me. He took everything. He left me nothing. _

_No, no. Zane's the one you want to kill. Not Dad. Zane's the one who betrayed you._

_Dad betrayed me too. I'll kill them all. _

_It's the Capitol's fault. None of this would have happened if not for them._

_I'll kill them too. They've always been watching me. Playing with my life, like it's a game. I'LL KILL THEM._

Suddenly, his foot hit something that went clattering across the ground. He froze at the sound, looking to see what had caused it. His eyes fell on a small, round shape a few yards away.

It was Hera's face.

Hapi gave a strangled cry, his hands flying to his mouth as he fought the urge to vomit. Her features were strangely distorted, with her eyes drooping and her mouth pulled down in a tearful frown. It was the strangest, most disturbing mask he had ever laid eyes on.

But there were more of them. The empty path ahead of him was suddenly teeming with all sorts of masks. Fear made his heart pound at the sight of them. He hurried on through the valley of faces, trying to tear his gaze away from them. But they were everywhere he looked. Each face was recognizable as one of the tributes, but their features were all horridly grotesque.

Hera. Zane. The two girls he had killed. The boy from District 11. The girl from District 9. It never ended.

Hapi squeezed his eyes shut and stumbled along blindly. With each step, his feet sent masks clattering across the rocks. But he refused to look at them. Even with his eyes closed, shrouded in complete darkness, he could see their faces engrained in his mind. They haunted him. They would never _stop _haunting him.

The sound of fluttering reached his ears and caused him to open his eyes. A familiar white letter flew past him and was carried away by the breeze.

"No!" Hapi shouted, reaching out to grasp it, but it slipped through his fingers. _That's my letter to Mom! _He wailed inwardly, chasing after it. The ground suddenly shook violently and Hapi pitched forward, hitting the ground hard. Disoriented, he climbed back to his feet and lurched after the letter.

It blew out of reach. Hapi skidded to a halt, nearly plunging over the side of a cliff in his haste to retrieve it. He watched helplessly as it sailed away. _I can't lose that! _He decided, tensing his muscles to jump off.

Before he could, a pitiful whimper reached his ears.

"Keata! You're alive!" Hapi cried out. He whirled around, expecting to see his fox standing there.

It was his mother.

She was barefoot, wearing the hospital gown she had sported for the past five years. She was covered in bandages, but he could still see the raw, red flesh underneath. As if the factory accident had just occurred yesterday.

Hapi took a step back, the edge of the cliff crumbling away as he did so. "This isn't real," He breathed, immune to the danger he was in.

A small smile creased his mother's burned lips. "Does it matter?" She spoke in a jarring voice that sounded nothing like her old, gentle one.

"Why are you here?" Hapi whispered.

She didn't answer for a moment. The eye that wasn't covered by bandages glazed over with sorrow. "I miss you, Hapi." She spoke sadly, "Do you miss me?"

Hapi's eyes filled with tears. "Every day of my life."

"You want to see me again, don't you?"

"Of course!" Hapi cried out with fervor, stepping towards her.

"Then you have to kill _everyone_." His mother hissed, her expression darkening, "Kill the rest of the tributes, and then you can come home." She started backing away from him, her image fading as she did so.

"Wait!" Hapi cried out, running after her, "Don't go!"

Even as she disappeared, he could still hear her voice rasping, "Come home soon, Hapi. I miss my son."

Hapi reached up and wiped away his tears. Then he opened his eyes, determination sparking in their depths. "I will." He promised, reaching into his vest and removing his knives. He brought them together with a loud, metallic scrape. "You always told me to have faith, Mom. But that's not enough anymore. I see it now…I have to carve my own fate."

A terrible screaming abruptly sounded in the distance. Hapi immediately jumped into action, racing towards the sound. It was coming from below, on a lower path. He peered over the edge of the cliff to see Zane murdering a small girl.

Glee washed over him, and he quickly scrambled behind a rock, holding back laughter. _I found him. I found him! _He rejoiced, the poison-tipped blades quivering in his hand. He longed to sink them into that traitor's flesh.

But he knew he had to be patient. He would wait for the best time to do it…then he would strike.

After the sound of the cannon, Hapi waited a few minutes before peeking back over the edge. Zane had set off along the trail, unaware of his presence.

Suddenly, Hapi remembered his invisible audience. The thousands upon thousands of people that were watching him right now, at this very moment. Waiting for his next move. A malicious grin stretched across Hapi's face as he rose to his feet and looked pointedly at the sky.

"You wanted a good show?" He said in a dangerous voice, holding up his knives, "Well now you're gonna get one!"

* * *

Zane couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. Every few steps, he cast a nervous glance over his shoulder, but no one was ever there. The fact that he was still stuck on the same trail didn't make him feel any safer. With a tall cliff on one side and a drop-off that led to lava on the other side, he was beginning to feel extremely paranoid.

_Chill out, Zane, _He scolded himself, _No one's there._

He reached up and wiped the dust from his eyes. His empty hand only served to remind him that he had lost his sword. His stomach roiled at the thought of being caught without it, but he forced himself to remain calm. Sighing deeply, he removed his backpack and his shield, and set them on the ground.

Just as he went to bend down and open up the backpack to get his water, something flew right past his head. He saw the glint of the knife as it missed him by inches. It struck a rock and then went hurtling over the edge of the cliff, down into the magma below.

Zane turned, but he was too slow. Hapi had already launched himself through the air and latched onto the Career's back. Zane could feel the sharp pain of a knife penetrating the flesh on his back. He roared furiously, trying to shake Hapi off of him.

Hapi held fast, flailing his daggers and ripping at any part of Zane he could reach. Then he brought his knife to Zane's throat, preparing to cut it open. But Zane reached up with both hands and grabbed Hapi's wrists, squeezing as hard as he could. Hapi writhed, trying to pull away, but Zane was stronger than him.

With a screech of fury, Hapi twisted his arm and sunk the blade of his knife deep into Zane's thumb. Zane screamed as Hapi dug the nail right out of the skin. Blood flew in flecks. The pain was so terrible, he had to let go.

Before Hapi could get to his throat a second time, Zane gave a great heave, throwing his body weight forward. He hit the ground hard, Hapi scrambling for a hold on top of him. Zane dug his hands into the rocks beneath him and pushed hard, throwing his attacker off.

He reached for his shield, but then the ground shook beneath him, bowling him over. Then Hapi was right back on him, stabbing one of the knives into his side, right where his stitches were. Zane roared in pain as Hapi ripped open the wound with ease. Blood began pouring freely, staining the ground red.

Not willing to give up, Zane flailed blindly, trying to grab at Hapi's neck. He caught a fistful of red hair in one hand and jerked his arm, forcing the boy away from him. Hapi growled wordlessly, lashing out with one of his knives, forcing Zane onto his back.

Then he was right back on top of him. They rolled over and over, locked in combat, each trying to get at one another's throats. All the while, the ground groaned and trembled underneath them. Zane registered that they were right at the edge of the cliff, in danger of falling.

In a last ditch effort, Zane threw his body weight to the side, thrusting Hapi towards the edge. With a vehement cry, Hapi rolled off of him and plummeted. Lying on his side, Zane watched Hapi fall.

He hit the surface of the lava hard, landing on his back. Even so, he seemed to sink in slow motion. With frightening clarity, Zane could see Hapi's bloodshot eyes widening with disbelief as he was consumed by fire.

Suddenly, there was an ear-piercing eruption. The ground started quaking violently, nearly sending Zane tumbling down after Hapi. He held on for dear life, clinging to the edge of the cliff. A plume of lava burst forth, right from where Hapi had disappeared. The explosion was so great that it reached all the way up the side of the cliff, to where Zane was.

He cried out as molten magma scorched his skin. He threw himself backwards, but the eruption was becoming more violent, spewing lava all over the side of the cliff.

Desperate to escape the heat, Zane ran.

* * *

"A cannon! Do you think it came from nearby?" Jarek cried out, looking scared.

Kalin and Amara were looking around nervously, half-expecting some bloodthirsty tribute to come running at them at any moment.

"I don't know," Kalin growled, "Stay on your guard."

"Does this mean…how many are there left?" Amara wondered.

"We'll see tonight, during the anthem." Kalin answered, eyes searching the sky, "Should be starting soon…"

* * *

Zane hadn't managed to make it very far before he collapsed. He was bleeding through multiple stab wounds, his skin was covered in burns, and for some reason, his a terrible, searing pain was filling him up from the inside. This terrified him to no end.

It had started as a strange tingling, around the areas where he had been stabbed. Quickly, it worsened, giving him the feeling that a thousand tiny knives were stabbing him. It felt like it was taking over his whole body, making his body go stiff with shock. He had been wounded before, and this just wasn't natural. Walking had quickly become an impossible task.

As dusk fell, he laid on his back, paralyzed. He wanted to scream, but he couldn't summon the strength to do so. An endless expanse of dark clouds filled his vision, making him feel lonely and despairing. The skin on his face, red and raw, felt like it was crawling with bugs. But he couldn't move his arms to reach up and scratch it. Even so, he was too afraid to feel the damage that had been done.

He closed his eyes. The terrible pain was starting to creep into his chest, making it difficult to breathe. All he could see in his mind was Hapi, sinking into the lava, followed by the explosion. It had been so unexpected that Zane had left all of his supplies behind. He hadn't even registered the cannon that announced Hapi's demise.

_What if he's not dead? _He thought fearfully.

_Don't be ridiculous. No one could survive that._

_No. He could. He's a monster._

_He's dead! Stop thinking about it._

He vaguely registered the tune of the anthem, but it sounded strangely muted. He lay there, forcing himself to take deep breaths, trying to find the strength to open his eyes. It hurt to move even an inch. But he forced them open anyways. When he did, his heart stopped beating.

His eyes bulged out of their sockets. He started gasping for air, his body convulsing as he tried to force air into his lungs. It felt like his entire body was on fire. He couldn't take it anymore. "No!" He choked out, fighting against the agonizing amount of pressure that was crushing his chest, "I…killed…you…!"

Hapi was looking down at him, grinning. But he was whole again, with no scars or burns to speak of. His hair was neatly groomed and his face shone with cleanliness. Somehow, he had crawled out of the depths of hell to once again wage war upon Zane. He was going to get his revenge. It would never stop.

Zane cried out for mercy, but Hapi didn't seem to hear him. His smile widened gleefully as he lifted his hand, revealing a knife. He paused for a moment, drinking in the suspense, maniacal laughter pouring from his throat. Then he plunged the knife downwards, driving it into Zane's heart.

* * *

The alliance of three were standing ankle-deep in snow, counting off each face that appeared in the sky. First came Saffron. Then Bentley, and Angela. The last to appear was Hapi's smiling face.

Just as the anthem ended and the sky darkened, they heard it.

_Boom._

They looked at one another, confused.

"Was that a cannon?" Kalin asked.

"I think so." Amara said in a dazed voice.

Jarek stared into the distance, counting off each tribute in his head. He realized with a thrill that it had come down to the three of them.

"Hey!" He exclaimed excitedly, turning towards Kalin, "We're the only ones l—"

In the same moment, Kalin leveled his crossbow at Jarek's face and shot an arrow directly into his eye.


	31. The Face Behind the Mask

**Went to bed at 3 AM last night gghrhrblgrrg but it was worth it to celebrate the end of band camp with my fellow mellos. (I want to thank the nice people that voted in my poll mellos are cool...as for the person who was all whaaat is a mellophone? It's basically a marching French horn, it sounds like a horn but it looks like a giant trumpet). Oh and we're totes playing Runaway Baby which is Hip's jam. OKAY time to stop rambling.**

Cliffhangers always seem to bring random people out of hiding. I'd do it more often, except the story is just about over and school starts tomorrow. :( Ahh well...hope the final chapter of the Games is to your liking!  


Amara watched, paralyzed, as Jarek's body gave a violent jerk. Then he collapsed in a heap on the snow, the ghost of his last smile still hovering on his face. Amara couldn't seem to tear her gaze away. The arrow that protruded from his eye seemed to be some sort of cruel joke. Any moment, Jarek would jump to his feet, laughing, telling Kalin, "Good one!"

The cannon brought Amara back to reality. Jarek was dead. Kalin had killed him.

She looked up into Kalin's cold, apathetic face. He had strung his final arrow, pointing his crossbow directly at her. "One left." He murmured.

Amara could feel tears bunching in her eyes. Her breaths came out in shaky sobs. "Why?" She whimpered.

Kalin's gaze was hard; he didn't lower his weapon. "I've been in this to win from the start. I knew if I surrounded myself with others, I'd have less of a chance of dying. And it worked."

"You _used _us." Amara whispered.

Kalin narrowed his eyes, and she could see his arm starting to pull back, ready to fire. "I want to live," He said through gritted teeth, "Is that a sin?"

Amara threw herself at the ground just as Kalin released the arrow. It sailed over her head and was lost among the snow. But she was already up and running, running back towards what was left of the temperate zone.

Kalin hesitated for a brief moment. He knew it would take too long to go looking for his arrow. So he threw down his crossbow and charged after her.

As Amara ran, the entirety of the Games washed over her. Tiger-Lilly's sacrifice. Kalin backing down as Luke took over. Her confession to him the night before. Kalin hugging her, telling her, _we're in this together, right until the end._

Above all, the intricate plan he had described to her. He had told them that this would give the poorer districts a chance. The victor would return home, bringing with them the promise of wealth. Everyone else—he said they would die with full bellies, surrounded by friends. But it had never been about anyone but _him_. It was all a sham.

Amara's grip tightened on her bow as a surge of emotions overwhelmed her. Anger, at Kalin's unexpected betrayal. Sadness, for those that had lost their lives fighting for him. And above all, determination. She would win. She had to return home to her mother, whom she owed so much to. She had to avenge those that had fallen in Kalin's stead.

Skidding to a halt, Amara whipped around, stringing her final arrow. She aimed it directly at Kalin's face. Her love for him had vanished and been replaced by pure hatred. She would give him the same death he had forced upon Jarek.

With a cry of resolve, Amara brought her arm back and let go.

The arrow shot through the air—and missed Kalin's head by an inch. His pace didn't slow as he came barreling towards her. Amara felt a thrill of fear. But then she turned and continued her desperate flight to get away from him. Ultimately, she was much faster. But she didn't know how long she could keep this up.

_I missed. I can't believe I missed. _She thought over and over again.

Telling herself that it was no good to dwell on this, she threw her bow aside and kept going. Her mind raced, trying to think of a different way she could kill Kalin. The snow thinned out beneath her and the Cornucopia came into view. The Cornucopia, with its barren walls that contained no weapons whatsoever.

Behind it stood the formation of rocks, jutting out alongside a cliff. She veered towards it, her feet pounding across the ground. Her lungs burned and her feet ached with each step, but adrenaline pumped through her veins, giving her the strength to continue.

There was a good amount of distance between them as Amara reached the maze of arches and pillars. She hurried through them, casting quick glances behind her to see where Kalin was.

Just when she thought she had lost him, his face appeared around a corner. His eyes burned with a resolute determination that said he would be seeing this through until the end.

Amara threw herself at the side of the cliff and started climbing. Her palms scraped the rock and became bloody, but she didn't waver. She looked down to see Kalin at the bottom of the cliff, preparing to climb after her.

She was nearly to the top when she set her plan for victory in motion. She drove her feet into the side of the cliff repeatedly, dislodging loose rocks and sending them raining down on him. The smaller ones dislodged larger ones and she triggered a tiny avalanche that went roaring down the side of the cliff.

Amara clung tightly to the side, waiting until the noise died down to look. When she peered beneath her, she could not see Kalin. Only a massive pile of rocks submerged in a cloud of dust. She imagined his bloody body buried underneath it somewhere, and she felt a twinge of regret.

Listening intently for the sound of the cannon, she forced herself to climb the rest of the way up. Just as she made it to the top, a strong hand gripped her arm and hauled her to her feet.

She bit back a scream as her eyes locked with Kalin's. She had underestimated his climbing abilities—he had located an easier path and beaten her to the top.

Now, he forced her to the ground, pinning her under him. His hands snaked around her throat and began to squeeze.

Amara fought back, summoning all of the knowledge she had of self defense. She tried to knee him in the stomach, but he trapped her legs under his. She clawed at his arms, digging her nails into his skin, and threw her head from side to side, but he hung on tight, squeezing even harder. She was no match for his amount of strength.

She tried to cry out, but she couldn't produce any air. Last words raced through her mind, words that she wanted to share with her mother. _Thank you. I love you. _But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't. Tears broke free from Amara's eyes as the fight went out of her.

She went limp in Kalin's grip as the life quickly drained out of her. He didn't falter, pressing his thumbs deep into the side of her throat. He could feel her pulse slowing down. He looked up into her tearstained face, into her cold gray eyes that shone with despair and betrayal. Her lips parted slightly, as if she were going to say something.

Kalin held fast, meeting her gaze without a flicker of emotion. He counted each pulse in his head as they got slower and slower. Finally, they stopped altogether.

Kalin didn't remove his hands for a full minute. He stayed there, holding onto Amara, staring into her deadpan eyes. Finally…her cannon fired. He removed his hands, allowing himself a small sigh of relief.

A jubilant voice filled the arena, a voice that sounded almost unreal…

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victor of the 43rd Hunger Games-Kalin Barry!"

For some odd reason, the ground began to shake. A deep groaning emitted from the depths of the arena. Kalin whipped his head around in alarm, wondering why this was happening. Then he spotted the hovercraft as it materialized out of nowhere, lowering a ladder. At the same time, a claw came down and snatched up Amara's body, but he paid it no mind.

He quickly reached out and grabbed ahold of the ladder. It froze his body in place, just as the ground gave way beneath him. But he was already being lifted into the sky. As he rose higher and higher, he could see the entire crater that was the arena collapsing in upon itself. A shield volcano violently spewed molten magma as the unstable ground sent up streams of smoke.

Kalin tried to tear his gaze away, but he couldn't move any part of his body. He watched helplessly as the arena was torn apart before his eyes.

Finally, he was in the hovercraft, able to move again. Nurses were rushing to and fro, leading him to a private room with glass walls. Cameras searched him for a reaction, but Kalin's face was smooth as he allowed them to clean the few cuts and scrapes he had acquired during his time in the Hunger Games.

They offered him small amounts of food and advised that he rest, but Kalin politely declined, "No thank you. I don't think I'd be able to sleep, even if I tried."

"We have drugs for that," A nurse offered.

Kalin shook his head. "I'll be fine. But…what happened back there, with the arena? Was it always that unstable?"

"Oh! That," The nurse scoffed, "Just the Head Gamemaker's antics. Always the one for drama! Now the public won't even be able to visit the historic remains of the arena, thanks to her. Well, not that anyone would want to. Would you care for some tea, darling?"

* * *

Kalin arrived back in the Capitol in the very early morning. The few cuts and bruises he had sustained were immediately treated, along with a mild case of frostbite he had sustained during his time in the arena. Luckily, it wasn't serious at all and he was healed right up.

The Capitol was screaming to hear from him, but he was allowed one day of rest. He slept for most of it, eating on and off, trying to regain his body weight. Overall, he was quite healthy and they were ready to send him off by the next day.

Even though he was still a bit on the skinny side, officials didn't want to put off the interview any longer. So he was swept away by his prep team and his stylist. In a matter of hours, he was beautified and looking like he had never entered the Hunger Games in the first place. His stylist dressed him in a black tux with a green tie, just as he had worn during his interview. But instead of having vines on it, it had fire patterns etched on the bottom of his jacket and sleeves. At his collar hung blue outlines of icicles. They faded in and out of focus every so often.

Just as he was preparing to go out, his stylist tried to hand him something else.

"A mask?" Kalin wondered.

"Crafted by the boy from District 8. I think it would be fitting, don't you?" His stylist mused, holding it up.

"No!" Kalin snapped, a bit too forcefully, "Thank you. But I don't want to wear it."

"Hmm…well, that's okay I suppose. They'll be wanting to see your beautiful face!"

Thankfully, Caesar Flickerman gave the cue for Kalin to enter and his metal plate began to rise off the ground. Trying to force a smile, Kalin stepped out and greeted the Capitol with a wave. Caesar was instantly at his side, shaking his hand with fervor and gushing about how he had known Kalin had what it took to win from the start of his interview.

"Remember what I said? About how you could have any girl you wanted?" Caesar said with a wink. The Capitol audience chuckled as the host gave their victor a good-natured nudge.

"Yeah, I remember all right…" Kalin said lightly, trying to laugh along with everyone else.

Caesar pounded Kalin on the back and motioned for him to take a seat. He was eager to start the interview. "Kalin…" The host began, as they sat down in unison, "I can call you Kalin now, right? I think we were all _very _impressed with the way you won this year's Hunger Games!"

The crowd attempted to burst into a round of applause, but quickly silenced themselves as Kalin gave a quiet thanks.

"Everyone loves a twist ending," Caesar smiled, "And the way you shot that boy out of nowhere! You certainly had us all fooled."

"I hope you can forgive me." Kalin replied wryly.

"No problem, no problem at all! But on one condition…would you mind telling us all about it? From the very beginning…" Caesar trailed off, looking expectantly at Kalin. The Capitol was dead silent, waiting to hear from him.

"The very beginning…" Kalin repeated in a faint voice, trying to recall everything that had happened up until this point.

"If you want," Caesar suggested, "We could watch the recap first, and hold the interview after. _Or _we could even have the interview during the recap, as everything plays out."

The audience was absolutely thrilled with this suggestion. They started clapping and cheering and refused to calm down until Caesar's idea was approved. It was, and they settled back in their chairs, eager to watch the exhilarating 43rd Hunger Games play out once more.

Caesar and Kalin turned to watch one of the large TV screens behind them, ready to commentate on the Games like spectators. As his Reaping was shown, Kalin explained his plan.

"I always had it, in case I ever got reaped…" He said in a dull voice, watching himself walk up to the stage and shake hands with Tiger-Lilly, "I wanted a huge alliance to counter the Careers, so I could get supplies easily. And I figured if I were leader, everyone would be looking out for me, y'know? So I started gathering people I could trust from the very beginning. I wasn't looking for power…just for tributes that I could count on. To protect me."

The Capitol started getting worked up, as if they wanted to applaud him. But with the film rolling and Kalin speaking, they quickly quieted to watch things play out. The chariot ride and his interview flew by. They showed him dancing with Tiger-Lilly. The entire time, Kalin kept his gaze glued to the floor, refusing to watch.

When the Bloodbath came around, he couldn't help but lift his eyes to the screen. He watched as Galloway tried to buy them time and lost her life for it. He saw Roam go down right after the Bloodbath. All fighting for the sake of his alliance.

It was fascinating to see it from the Careers' perspective. Kalin couldn't help but feel nervous as they went charging in to attack, although he knew what the outcome was going to be. His eyes found Tiger-Lilly amidst the fray of battle. Caesar made a note that Kalin usually prowled on the outskirts of battle, keeping clear of the fighting, but Kalin didn't respond. He watched sorrowfully as Ravish cut Tiger-Lilly down and sent her fleeing into the night.

Guilt pricked his insides as it showed her slowly bleed out during his desperate search for her. Then the red-haired Asian came along and gave her a mercy kill. Kalin had to turn his gaze away once more as the boy slit his district partner's throat.

The Games went on to show Luke taking over the alliance as Kalin backed down. Caesar turned to the victor, his eyes alight with curiosity. "Explain what happened here." He said, motioning towards the screen, "Did this hinder your plans at all?"

"No," Kalin responded in a strong voice, "I had already established myself as the leader among the alliance. I let Luke take over…knowing that the Careers would be out for the blood."

As he spoke, it showed Saffron running towards Luke and then stabbing him in the heart. The film immediately cut to Seth's gory death. Once again, Kalin had to look away.

After leaving the Cornucopia, the action that the large alliance was experiencing lessened dramatically. The editors had chosen to focus on everyone, _but _them, showing random tributes dying mixed with shots of Kalin forging on, looking determined.

Adrenaline was betrayed and mobbed by the Careers. Scarlet had a gruesome death in a pool of boiling water. There was a quick shot of Kalin's alliance fighting side by side with Emmett against the yeti.

"If you wanted me dead, you would have killed me already." Said Emmett's voice, overlaying the battle.

"Not necessarily." Came Kalin's response.

After that, it went back to showing a montage of deaths. Kelsea dying during the disbandment of the Careers. Emmett dying in a fight against Bentley. Hera committing suicide, not long after the announcement of the feast. The film cut between the nine remaining tributes, mainly showing the ones that were preparing to attend the extravagant feast.

"We're in this together, right until the end!" Kalin's confident voice filled the Capitol as he, Jarek, and Amara engaged in their group hug. Kalin couldn't help but cringe.

Caesar's eyes were sparkling, "Quite the penchant for lying, hmm…" He mused quietly.

Kalin shook his head. "I wasn't lying." He blurted out.

"Oh?" Caesar said, lifting his purple-tinted eyebrows.

"Yeah," Kalin said, searching for an explanation, "I was in the arena. They were in the arena. We were in it together. Y'know?" He forced a grin and the audience burst into raucous laughter. Inside, he felt terrible for it.

Caesar gave an appreciative hoot. "You should be a comedian! You are too much!"

But as the recap moved on to the feast, everyone went silent. Even thought he had already seen the fight between the two smaller alliances play out, it was still terrifying to behold. He watched himself raise his crossbow as Saffron fled. He shot him in the chest, missing his heart by an inch. The rest of the feast played out with no more casualties.

That night, Saffron passed away. The next morning, Bentley was devoured by orcas in a display that Kalin had a hard time watching. He had barely interacted with the boy from District 12, but couldn't help root for him during his daring escape. Of course, no one escaped from the Capitol, and he was rewarded with a grisly, horrifying death.

The film started rapidly crosscutting between the remaining tributes after that. The fast-paced shots contributed greatly to the action and a dramatic soundtrack started up in the background, building tension.

Every time Hapi appeared on screen, Kalin felt a thrill of fear. The boy had obviously gone insane. It didn't help that he had been sponsored a bottle of poison that had been extracted from a Spider-Man muttation. He and his ally had been planning to attack his alliance. Thankfully, they had split apart before they could do any damage.

The last few deaths were awful. Kalin saw them in flashes. Angela's head bashed in…Hapi melting into the lava…Zane having a seizure on the ground. It was his cannon that had fired after the anthem.

Kalin watched himself fire an arrow into Jarek's skull. The chase with Amara went by in a matter of minutes. After a slow, painful strangulation, she died too.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victor of the 43rd Hunger Games-Kalin Barry!" Came the very announcement he had heard not long ago.

Of course, the crater started collapsing after that. He grabbed the ladder and was hauled to safety. A dramatic shot from an aerial view showed himself looking out over the destroyed arena. The screen darkened and the Capitol went nuts. Caesar rose to his feet, pulling Kalin along with him, and raising his hand. The applause went on for a few minutes, and then the two settled back into their seats for a few last questions.

"So, Kalin…I can't help but ask if you developed any feelings for Miss Keeler. Also, Mr. Damon and you had quite the rapport. What was going through your mind when you achieved victory?"

Kalin knew he couldn't tell the Capitol the truth. They were his friends, of course. Maybe…he would even go as far as to say his family. A dysfunctional family that he hadn't been able to experience for a long time, due to the absence of his parents. But he lied and told them what he knew President Snow would want to hear. "As soon as I was reaped, I decided I was going to win. I was going to do whatever it took to be here today. No matter what."

A few people started clapping, but they were quickly silenced as Caesar asked another question. "What did you think of that bit at the end? The arena collapsing and all?"

"Well, at least that didn't happen while the Games were going on!" Kalin said, sounding relieved.

"True. But now you won't be able to go back and revisit the arena."

_Because I totally want to go back to that hellhole. _Kalin thought sarcastically, biting his tongue. Instead, he said, "I think I'm just going to relax back in District 11 for the time being."

"That's right!" Caesar exclaimed, lifting a finger, "Until it's time for your Victory Tour! And then, it's on to become a mentor!"

"Yup," Kalin agreed, "I can promise you that you'll be seeing some more victors coming up from District 11!"

The interview ended on that note, with the Capitol going wild. President Snow appeared and presented Kalin with the victor's crown. Then he was ushered off the stage as random people tried to grab at him, demanding autographs or pictures. He stayed there for a long time, uttering thank-yous until his mouth was dry.

A long while later, Kalin boarded a train to take him home.

* * *

After winning the Hunger Games, Kalin quit his job in the orchard, left his tiny abode, and moved in to a large house in the Victor's Village. The Village was nearly empty, except for the lonely, middle-aged woman living at the end of the block who had served as his mentor.

With no parents or siblings, Kalin's new home felt ten sizes too big for him. To make it feel less lonely, he would throw random parties for his friends. Eventually, his friends began to invite their friends, and his house would always be filled with random strangers on week nights. Sometimes the entire house would shake due to the many guests it contained and the throbbing of the bass from the stereo. Of course, Kalin was always the center of attention at these parties.

But he kept trying to smile and keep up his happy façade. With his endless amount of money, he hired servants to come clean up the remains of the last party and prepare for the next one. This new social life helped him cope with the pain he was feeling.

One afternoon, President Snow came to see him. He was surprised to see the leader of Panem standing on his doorstep, an uncharacteristic smile planted on his face. Kalin let him in and the two discussed his victory.

"I trust you want to serve as a mentor in the next Hunger Games?"

"Yeah…I figured I would have to anyways, since there's only two current victors from District 11." Kalin shrugged.

"Excellent. Well, that's not the only reason I came. I wanted to express my most sincere thanks to you." Snow said, folding his hands and looking at Kalin fondly.

Kalin just stared at him, at a loss for words. "…Huh?"

"For achieving victory the way you did," Snow explained, "It was impeccable. We were all very impressed."

"Thanks…" Kalin said in a faint voice. He supposed President Snow _would _have been pleased with the way he won. Using the other tributes like that…he had divided the districts even further.

After Snow left, he returned to his daily routine. Kalin often went on long walks, trying to live every day to the fullest. He had always appreciated the small things, but even more so now that he had survived the Hunger Games. He never took anything for granted. A tiny flower blooming on the edge of the road was a miracle in itself. The soft breeze that rustled his hair on hot days was a blessing. He relished every bit of food and drink that entered his mouth.

Appreciating life helped him cope. He often told himself that it wasn't a sin—he did what he had to do, in order to live. With this in mind, he slowly began to recover from his ordeal and put the past behind him.

Until the Victory Tour six months later, which dredged up all of those unwanted memories once more.

**Okay, time to get around to all of the obituaries. I didn't wanna spoil the moment at the end of the last chapter with an author's note. Anyways…**

**RIP Angela, Hapi, Zane, Jarek, Amara**

**Angela: Honestly, I kept forgetting about her and I couldn't think of anything interesting for her to do. I just suck at writing for loners. :( That's probably the main reason why she got so far. But she still had a lot of fight for a 12 year old, so good job, Angela! Way to make it to the top 10 and then go out fighting. **

**Hapi: I freaking loved this dude! From the very beginning. Not to pick favorites…actually, to TOTALLY pick favorites, he's my favorite character (well, I'm lying, it's a tie between him and Saffron. I know, I'm shameless.) and every time it was time to write him I was like YUSSSS because everything about him was fun to write, from the fox to the hallucinations to his dialogue asghjsahdj EVERYTHING. But he was doomed to lose just as Saffron was because my sister made him. In my eyes, that's just as bad as making my own character win. If Hapi won…he probably would have had the saddest ending of all. /sob/ Poor Hapi…ILY Hapi.  
**

**Zane: Although not the most memorable Career, he was destined to go far because he had what it took to win. He was kind of like the rock among the Careers, holding them firmly in place, and he was pretty smart to boot. But I really think he slipped into the spotlight when he left the Careers. And it was really fun to write his excruciating death, which was pretty awful on a number of levels. Wow, I sound like such a sadist. I just really like where his character went in the end, following his former ally down the path of insanity. **

**Jarek: Oh God. When I killed this kid, I laughed. I'm probably going to heck for that, despite the fact that he's a fictional character. But I really loved this guy too, everything he did was funny (yeah, even when he rolled over dead) and he's another one who had hilarious dialogue to write. Yeah, he pretty much piggy-backed off the alliance the entire time. But that's what makes his death so heartbreaking. He came so far, only to fail.**

**Amara: She was a nice girl. She definitely didn't stand out as much as other characters, but I think she suited the spot for second place. I really like how she came alive at the end—Kalin's betrayal gave her the extra push she needed in order to kill. Unfortunately, her life was cut short before she could go through with it. Hers is another sad ending, considering she had just confessed to the boy that would kill her the night before.  
**

**Oh. And I just wanna get this off of my chest. A lot of the characters wouldn't have made for interesting endings, as much as everyone liked them. Channa went through a change in the arena—she was haunted by the deaths of her allies, especially Hip, but in the end she found love in someone else, despite being a slave for the Capitol. Some of the characters in this (as awesome as they were) didn't go through major changes or have an interesting background that would have made for a cool ending. They just didn't have layers, and I'm not talking about all of them when I say that, because plenty of them DID have layers. Moving on…**

**The Victory Tour is going to be rather long, going past the normal length of one chapter. You'll see why when it goes up.**


	32. Never Coming Home

**I didn't mention in my band camp ramble that I named my mellophone Saffron Le Mel. Teehee. Anyways, go vote in the new poll!  
**

**District 12**

"Wake up."

"…Nnn. Carson? What time is it?"

Ronnie opened his eyes to see Carson positioned at the foot of his bed, slightly leaning towards him. In the darkness of the room, he could see his older brother's brown eyes shining with excitement.

"Half past 'get your butt out of bed.'" Came Bentley's disgruntled voice. He was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed. He looked extremely grumpy.

"Never mind him. It's way past his bedtime." Carson said, looking amused, "Anyways, it's midnight and we're headed out. Wanna come?"

"It's _not _past my bedtime. And I don't see why he has to come," Bentley scoffed. At ten years old, Bentley thought he was the coolest guy to walk District 12. He didn't want his lame, seven year old brother cramping his style.

"Oh, come on. He wanted to come. You're lucky I'm bringing _you_." Carson whispered back.

Ronnie brushed off Bentley's misgivings and gave a wriggle of excitement. "Where are we going tonight?" He asked, climbing out of bed and rubbing his eyes. The three of them liked to sneak out and hang with a few of Carson's friends at night. Living on the edge was fun and, so far, they hadn't been caught.

"It's a surprise." Carson said mischievously.

The three brothers quickly slipped outside the house, careful not to wake their sleeping parents. They went on to meet up with three of Carson's friends from school, fellow 13-year olds, in the usual spot. Despite being so much younger, Ronnie thought it was really cool of them to let him hang out with them. He tried to contain his excitement and play it cool as they set off for their destination.

Usually, they prowled around the town, sometimes causing mischief. One time, one of Carson's friends showed up with a bottle of beer that he had stolen from his parents. The older boys took turns taking sips, trying to see who could drink the most. Carson said it tasted disgusting, but for some reason, he kept drinking it. He wouldn't let Bentley or Ronnie try any.

Tonight, they headed for the fence that separated District 12 from the wilderness. It was well-known that the fence was never turned on or maintained. That proved even truer when they came across a gaping hole in it, a good ways from the town.

"Okay," One of the older boys said, "Who's going first?"

Ronnie looked at the fence with wide eyes. They could get in big trouble for going outside the boundaries, but he didn't say so. He didn't want Carson to stop bringing him on these trips. He remained silent for the duration of ten minutes, in which everyone placed bets and made dares.

Finally, Carson decided, "_I'll _do it."

The boys fell into a hushed silence as they watched Carson step cautiously towards the hole in the fence. Taking a deep breath, he quickly ducked under and popped out on the other side. He took a few steps, looking around cautiously. Then he doubled back, smiling triumphantly.

"Who's next?" He invited.

"I am." Bentley answered instantly, narrowing his eyes in determination. He was always trying to outdo Carson, trying to prove himself. Everyone watched him step bravely past the fence and keep walking, past the point where Carson had turned around.

"Bentley…!" Ronnie started to call out, but Carson silenced him.

Bentley reached the edge of the wilderness. Then he turned around and came back, looking proud of himself for just breaking the law. "Nothing to it." He declared with a smirk, "What about you, Ronnie? Think you can go farther?"

Ronnie looked at Bentley and shook his head, eyes wide.

"Oh, c'mon. Just do it. You'll be fine."

"No!" Ronnie said in a quavering voice.

"Chicken."

"Lay off, Bentley." Carson growled, "He doesn't have to do it. Besides, he's little."

"Being little won't stop you from being reaped in the Hunger Games." Bentley said bitterly.

"Fine!" Ronnie snapped, "I'll do it."

Without another word, Ronnie went running past the fence and out into the woods. He passed where Bentley had stood and plunged into the shade of the trees. He could hear his brothers calling him to come back, coming to retrieve him, but he would show them that he was no coward.

Suddenly, a harsh growling caused him to freeze in place. Two fierce red eyes were glowing in the darkness, looking right at him. Ronnie tried to scream, but the muttation was on him in a single bound. It looked like a creature of his nightmares, every terrifying animal that ever existed having been melded into one. It clamped down on him, hard, shrouding him in darkness. He tried to break free, but he was twisting and turning, completely disoriented. All the while, he could hear Carson and Bentley screaming for help, as if they too were being devoured by the monster…

Ronnie's eyes opened and he realized that he had been dreaming of something that had happened a long time ago. Except there hadn't been any monster—Ronnie had refused to go out past the fence. One of the older boys had taken a jab at Carson, saying that courage didn't run in the family after all.

Ronnie had cried that night. It seemed like such a silly thing to cry over. Especially in a world where the Hunger Games existed. But still, he cried.

_Today is the day we host the Victory Tour. _Ronnie thought dryly, staring up at his ceiling. He just wanted to lie in bed all day, but everyone had to attend the ceremony. Besides, he was an important guest. Once again, he would be standing on the stage, where he had stood a year ago when Carson had passed away.

Now, Bentley was gone too.

In the past five years, Ronnie had lost a father and two brothers. It was just him and his mother now. They were tired of crying. Over time, their grief had condensed into a dull ache that they just wanted to be rid of.

Nonetheless, they forced themselves to get ready for the day's events. Then they headed down to the town square in silence. Already, a crowd had gathered around the stage that had been set up, but the victor had yet to appear.

Ronnie and his mother took their place on the platform that was set up for families. They were the only ones there—if Beatriss even had a family, they never came. The platform felt terribly empty.

Ronnie slipped his hand into his mother's and held on tight. After all, she was all he had anymore.

Not long after, Kalin made an appearance onstage. He came up and gave the usual speech. Ronnie tried not to cry, but the tears came anyway.

_I just want my brothers back. _He thought, looking at Kalin, _I don't care about you._

Afterwards, they attended a small feast. Ronnie was miserable. The food tasted like mush in his mouth. He lowered his head and rested his chin on the table, not even pretending to be happy for the victor. As he zoned out, Bentley's words came back to him, from the dream. _"Being little won't stop you from being reaped in the Hunger Games." _

Ronnie wasn't stupid. He knew that. And he knew, next year, he would be 12. He would be old enough to be reaped.

And he would be in danger of meeting the same fate as Carson and Bentley.

**District 10**

Dalia couldn't understand what had happened over the past few months.

Jarie had been chosen to play the Hungry Games. He had gone away, just as Mommy and Daddy had said he would. But when was he coming back?

Nothing seemed to make sense. She had seen Jarie on the big TVs, and on their tiny one at home. She saw him with the horsies and dancing with a princess in a polka-dotted dress. And she got to see him wearing a suit with her face on it. It was like being right there with him! And then Mr. Sneezer said Jarie had gotten a two in the Games.

"Jarie got second! Jarie got second!" Dalia had run around the house, singing about her brother's success. He would be coming home soon! She had missed him so much. "I wanna play the Hungry Games too!" She told her mother excitedly.

But after that, things changed. She wasn't allowed to watch Jarie on the TVs anymore. "Jarie coming home now? Right? When I see Jarie again?" She asked repeatedly.

But her parents never answered her questions. Usually, they just took her into their laps and changed the subject. Dalia was constantly wondering about her brother. _Did he marry the princess? _She wondered, thinking of the ball. It was the only explanation she could come up with on her own.

One day, she awoke in her room to hear Mommy crying. Dalia snatched up her ragged teddy bear and clutched it tightly to her chest. Then she opened her door, going out to the family room, where her parents were huddled on the couch.

"Are you crying?" She asked, eyes wide. She had never seen Mommy or Daddy cry. She had thought grown-ups didn't cry. Ever.

Her mother didn't look at her, sobbing freely into her hands. Her father looked dreadfully tired, with his arms wrapped around his wife. He held out an arm to Dalia and she hurried over and climbed into his lap.

"Honey…" He said, and his voice broke.

Dalia looked at him with wide eyes, as he searched for words.

"Jarie went to heaven." He told her, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks. Mommy gave a loud sob, reaching out and holding Dalia's little hand.

She just looked at her parents, trying to process this. Heaven was where Grandma and Grandpa went when they had died. But Jarie wasn't old. He couldn't have died.

"Is he visiting my gramma and grampa…?" Dalia wondered.

Her mother nodded, trying to smile despite her tearstained face. "That's right, sweetie. They're looking after him now."

Dalia blinked. "Okay."

Her parents took her back to bed and tucked her in. As they left, she heard her father comment on what a brave little girl she was. Dalia didn't know what they meant. She just wanted Jarie to come home already.

Months passed, although time intervals were lost on Dalia. She celebrated her third birthday, but even then, Jarie didn't come home. She took it upon herself to look for him. She searched high and low, checking each and every room in the house. But she never found him. One night, she even slept in his bed, something she often did when she had a nightmare. But Jarie didn't come back to comfort her.

Sometimes Dalia would throw tantrums, stomping her foot and demanding, "I want Jarie!" But her parents never produced him for her, causing her to break down into tears.

One sunny day, Mommy and Daddy took Dalia on a long walk. They walked on roads through pastures, looking at all of the horsies and cows. They even saw a doggie and Dalia learned that it was actually a coyote.

"Is he the doggie's brother?" Dalia guessed, as her father held her up for a better look. The coyote was slinking towards a herd of grazing cattle.

"You could say that." Her father replied in a cheerful voice.

They moved on, headed for the town. Many people were gathered and Dalia's father hoisted her up onto his shoulders so that she could see over everyone's head. The little girl felt a thrill of excitement, looking around in wonderment.

Then her parents brought her right up to the huge stage that everyone had gathered around. "So high!" Dalia cheered, clinging tightly to Daddy's head.

Three men came up and stood next to them.

"Hi!" She greeted, waving her little hand at them.

"Shush, honey." Her mother said, pressing a finger to her lips and then pointing at the stage.

Dalia looked up at who was standing on it. Her eyes widened in recognition. She recognized him as the boy that had danced next to Jarie when he was dancing with the princess. She nearly called out to him, but her father took her off his shoulders and set her on the ground before she could. She stood there in silence, listening to him speak. She kept turning to Mommy, trying to ask her questions, but she was shushed every time.

Finally, the boy was done speaking and leaving the stage. At this moment, Dalia broke away from her parents and went running towards him.

"Dalia!" Her father cried out, but she didn't stop.

She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. She caught Kalin just as he left the stage, tackling his legs and balling up his pants in her little fists. He looked down at her in surprise. "Hello…" He said in a kind voice.

"Do you know when Jarie's coming home?" Dalia asked, cutting straight to the point. If anyone would know, he would. He had been in the Hungry Games too.

But the boy's reaction was the same as her parents. His eyes widened and she could seem them getting shiny, just like hers did when she was about to cry. The boy crouched down on one knee, taking her hands in his.

"I'm so sorry…" He began to say, but then she heard the shrill shriek of her mother.

"Get away from him!"

She was snatched off the ground in her father's arms. He was glaring fiercely at the boy as he hauled Dalia away. She shrieked, kicking her feet and pounding her little fists on her Daddy's arms.

"Down! Down!" She demanded, as her parents quickly removed her from the stage and began carrying her back in the direction of home.

Tears rolled down her face. She tried peering over her father's shoulder to find where the boy had gone, but he had disappeared in a sea of people.

_Now I'll never know if Jarie's coming home. _

**District 9**

Elias was dreading today. It was the day when Kalin would come to District 9. He'd already gone to 12 and 10, skipping over his home district. Elias could care less about what Kalin had done (after all, he had spared Emmett's life), but the worst part of today was yet to come.

_She's already there, _Elias sighed, spying Marie standing on the platform reserved for families. She was the only one representing Scarlet.

"Come on, Elias, it's starting soon," Came his mother's voice.

Sighing, Elias allowed them to lead him to the stage. Just as he ascended the steps, Marie turned and looked at him, her expression hardening. Elias met her gaze, trying to look nonchalant. He gave her a cold nod and then turned his attention to the stage. He stood there rigidly, trying to ignore Marie and hating the incredible awkwardness of their situation.

He and Marie had broken up back during the Hunger Games. The conversation had started innocent enough, but it had exploded into a huge fight. Neither of them could overcome it and apologize, so they had wound up going their separate ways.

In Elias's mind, it was all Marie's fault, though she wouldn't admit it.

They had set up a date during the postponement day of the Games, trying to escape the anxiety they felt about losing their siblings. They sat down to order, and while looking at the menu, Marie suddenly said, "So what's up with that brother of yours?"

"What do you mean?" Elias had replied half-heartedly, wondering if he should get the chicken or the fish.

"He was really rude in his interview. He basically said that Scarlet wasn't in his league."

Marie's tone sounded so annoyed that Elias couldn't help but look up at her. She was looking extremely disgruntled, scowling at the menu in her hand. Elias couldn't help but feel a prick of irritation. "I don't know. Maybe Scarlet did something to provoke him."

"Oh, so it's immediately _Scarlet's _fault." Marie had said, sparing a glare at Elias.

"I didn't say that." Elias said quickly.

"Are you kidding, yes you did!"

"Okay, so what if I did?" Elias growled.

"I thought we came here so we could stop thinking about them and feel less stressed!" Marie snapped.

"Well, you're the one who brought it up!" Elias shouted, a little too loudly.

Their waiter had come and stood at the table during this, looking flustered. "Should I come back?" He asked timidly.

The couple ignored him.

"I just wanted to know why your little brother's such a JERK!" Marie snarled, "Because, you know, maybe it runs in the family."

"He's NOT!" Elias shot back, "And neither am I!" He stood up and began stomping away.

"Where are you going?" Marie demanded.

Scowling, Elias didn't respond. The date had pretty much been unsalvageable after that. Neither of them had bothered calling the other. Not even when Scarlet died did Elias seek to comfort his ex girlfriend, although it would have been the opportune moment to get back together. He just absorbed himself in the Games, trying to root for Emmett. But a few days later, he had to watch his brother die.

Six months later, he and Marie still hadn't spoken. Now they were standing side by side on a platform, mourning their lost siblings, but still holding on to their grudges.

Luckily, Kalin's speech went by fast. As soon as it was over, Elias was off of that stage and getting as far away from Marie as he could. There were a few festivities that Emmett took part in half-heartedly, but he was feeling pretty irritated by the end of the day. He just wanted to go home.

Finally, he set off for his house with his parents. They were very quiet, having talked very little about Emmett for the past six months.

As they walked up to their door, Elias felt a hand squeeze his shoulder. He turned to see his mother and father smiling at him fondly. For some reason, anger bubbled up from within him. "Stop it!" He snapped, "You sent Emmett to his death. Don't look so proud of yourselves."

He tore away from them and walked to his room, prepared to slam the door behind him. But then the door to Emmett's room caught his eye, and he found himself entering that instead. He had been avoiding it for months, but now, he wanted to wrap himself in the memories of his brother.

The room was an absolute mess, with papers littering the floor. Looking closely at the papers, Elias could see that each one had some sort of sketch. Everything from landscapes to portraits.

Elias spent the rest of the night sorting through the papers, organizing them. With each sketch he discovered, he learned a little bit more about his brother. Elias cleaned every inch of the room until it was sparkling clean. When he had finished, he placed his hands on his hips, looking at his work.

"There," He said out loud, his voice shaking ever so slightly, "That's the least I can do for you…" He raised a hand to his face and wiped away a tear that rolled down his cheek. He thought back to the Reaping, the last day he had spoken to Emmett. Unwillingly, he gave a small sob.

"I just wish I could have done more."

**District 8**

Keata eased her eyes open, trying to adjust them to the artificial light of the room she was in. But it was too much, and she had to smash them shut again. For a long time, she just lay there on her back, trying to force herself to open her eyes and look at her surroundings. But she kept shying away from it, going back to the comfortable world of darkness.

"Mrs. Saltzman?" Came a soft voice, belonging to a female, "Can you hear me?"

Keata gathered up all of her willpower and forced her eyes open once more, cringing at the flood of light. But this time, she made herself adjust and focus on the face in front of her. It was a nurse. She was holding a clipboard, looking at her with wide eyes as she waited for an answer.

"Yes." Keata responded, trying to move her lips properly. It just came out as a whispered grunt.

The nurse smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling up with joy. "You're finally back." She said kindly.

Keata's mind felt dull with confusion. Luckily, the nurse didn't ask her anymore questions.

"My name is Dr. Sinclair," She said, busily bringing out a tray with a bowl of soup on it and placing it in front of Keata. Then she took a seat on the edge of the bed, smiling and waiting for Keata to do something.

Keata tried to force her arms to move and grab the spoon, but they felt strangely heavy. Instead, she cleared her throat a few times and tried to speak. "What happened? Where's Roger?" She asked, thinking of her husband, but her throat only produced a dry whistling sound.

Dr. Sinclair helped her drink some water and eat a few spoonfuls of soup. She also helped Keata exercise her limbs, slowly working them until they came back to life. The exertion quickly exhausted Keata. Once they had finished, she repeated her questions in a clear voice.

Dr. Sinclair's smile faltered, "It's…a bit difficult to explain, dear. Before we get to that, I have something for you."

The nurse held out a white letter. Keata took it from her and opened it, with some difficulty. Then she slowly unfolded a piece of paper, her hands shaking as she held it up to her bleary eyes.

_Dear Mom,_

_If you're reading this, then that means you have finally woken up from your coma. It also means that I have perished in the Hunger Games._

_For years, I have been writing these letters, should the day come that I am reaped. I want you to know everything that has happened up until this point. I know it will make you sad, but I hope that your wounds will heal with time._

_I want you to know that Dad left us, two years after the accident in the factory, the one that left you in a comatose state for five years. We ran out of money, trying to keep you alive. But I found other means._

_After the factory accident, I took up carving masks for the burn victims. The people of District 8 wore my masks and became happy. After being discovered by a Capitol businessman, I was able to pour all of my money into your life support. _

_With my new position as a tribute, I have no doubt that my sales in the Capitol will skyrocket. This letter is my will. All of my profits will go to you. I pray that you'll be able to reap the benefits of my newfound fame. _

_There is one last thing I want you to know. I never lost faith. I always knew you would wake up, one day. I just wish I could have been there to greet you when you did._

_With love,_

_Hapi_

Keata could feel shocked tears running down her face. She stared at the letter for a long time, just letting the tears flow freely as she read through it again and again.

She had been in a coma for five years. Her husband had left her. Her son was dead.

Keata buried her face into her blanket and wailed. Instantly, Dr. Sinclair was at her side, holding her and comforting her. She looked into the nurse's face and saw that she was crying too. For a long time, they just sat there, sobbing.

Mourning the loss of their children that had so cruelly met their fates in the twisted game the Capitol had invented.

* * *

Keata stayed in the hospital for a long time, trying to recover. They carted in a TV and she was able to watch the recap of the Games. She barely even recognized Hapi when she saw him. The last time she had seen her son, he was just a little 12-year old boy. In the past 5 years, he had grown into a fine, young man. Keata cried as soon as she realized it was him and she didn't stop crying until the recap was over.

It was an awful experience, seeing her son descend into madness. She felt so helpless just sitting there in the hospital bed, unable to do anything for him. But all of this had taken place months ago. Hapi was _gone_.

The Victory Tour came around and that was when the hospital decided to release Keata. She had made a decent recovery and her condition was pronounced stable. She couldn't help but wonder if it was for publicity—as soon as she stepped outside, she was swamped by reporters.

They babbled questions at her, demanding to know her thoughts on everything that had happened thus far. "What are your thoughts on the Games?" "How did you feel when you realized you had lost your son during the 5-year coma?" "Are you going to take over his mask business now?" "Your name is Keata, correct? How did you feel when you realized that Hapi was hallucinating your image in the arena?"

Keata latched on to the first question she could make out and answered it.

"Yes, my name is Keata," She said in a quiet voice, "But I don't think…I was not the one Hapi was talking to." She paused uncertainly. In her heart, she couldn't believe that _she _was Keata he was referring to in the arena. He had only ever called her Mom and when he spoke to the other Keata, he sounded as if he were talking to a dog rather than a person.

One of the reporters seemed to realize this as well. "Do you have any pets?" He asked, but Keata felt a wave of annoyance wash over her.

"You know, none of this is any of your business!" She snapped, shoving each person out of her way. One woman stumbled on high heels and landed in a puddle of mud.

Keata didn't spare a single glance, and headed to where the festivities were taking place. When she arrived in town, she paused. Peacekeepers pointed her in the direction of the stage and she slowly made her way towards it.

_Roger! _Her heart gave a leap of joy when she spotted her husband standing on stage. But then she saw the floozy hanging off his arm and she remembered Hapi's letter. Her heart sunk. Roger had left her three years ago.

But it didn't matter. She still had to go up there and represent her son. So she bravely ascended the steps and came face to face with her husband.

His eyes bulged out of his sockets at the sight of her and his mouth dropped open. Keata narrowed her eyes coolly, waiting for him to say something. The blonde floozy that was hanging off of him looked from him to Keata in confusion.

"Um, who are _you_?" She said in a slightly sneering tone.

"I'm his wife." Keata responded, not taking her eyes off Roger, "At least, that's the last I heard."

The blonde wrenched herself away from Roger, looking outraged. "You told me your wife was dead!" She hissed.

Before Roger could make up some sort of excuse, his lover flew from the stage in a fury. Keata watched her go, not feeling the least bit sorry. But her heart still ached to share an embrace with the husband she had loved so much.

Now, his face was caught somewhere between shock and anger. "What are you…how…" He searched for words, his face turning a bright red.

Before he could say anything, Keata turned her attention to the couple that was coming up the steps.

"Dr. Sinclair!" She exclaimed.

"Hello," The nurse said, smiling up at her former patient, "You're looking well, Mrs. Saltzman."

"Don't call me that." Keata said curtly, "Please call me Keata."

Dr. Sinclair smiled wearily. "Very well, Keata."

The ceremony started after that. The boy that had won appeared on stage and gave a short speech. Officials presented him with a bouquet of flowers. The whole thing was very boring. Keata tried to keep her mind off of her husband. Instead, she thought of her son, missing him dreadfully.

When the ceremony had ended, Keata left before Roger could get a chance to talk to her. She didn't even stick around for the party thrown in Kalin's honor. Instead, she chose to walk back to what was now her home. The doctors had given her the address her family had moved into after the factory accident. Keata knew that, with Hapi's money, she would be able to afford a much bigger house than their current one. But she wanted to visit the remains of the old one and see if she could salvage anything.

Upon her approach, it became obvious that this dilapidated house hadn't been cared for in a very long time. The yard was overgrown and one of the front windows was broken. The entire place reeked of decay.

Shivering, Keata unlocked the door and opened it.

She had to bite back a scream at the sight that greeted her. The inside of the house was in complete shambles. Clothes and torn packages of food were lying strewn across a stained, torn-up carpet. Remains of decorative curtains hung limply by the cracked windows. Mounds of furniture had been shredded beyond recognition, large pieces of cotton spraying their surface. There was even a huge hole in the wall that looked as if something had bitten through it, something with lots of patience and nothing else to do.

Keata immediately spotted the criminal behind it all. A feral, red fox was lying curled on what used to be a sofa. At her scream, its head shot up and it looked at her with wide eyes. Without missing a beat, it sprang off of the couch and shot past her. Keata leaped out of the way, thinking it was aiming to attack her, but it passed by harmlessly.

She watched the fox lope away down the road and into a sparse forest, until it disappeared for good.

The fox would never return to the house again.

**I actually teared up at the end of Hapi's letter. Which is weird, because I don't usually feel many emotions when I write. Except for laughing. I laugh a lot.**

**So do you like this take on the Victory Tour? A lot of the tributes were interesting this year, so I thought it'd be cool to cover those closest to them. It was fun picking a person from each district and writing from fresh perspectives. I just went with whichever side character was the most interesting, though, because this is long enough as it is.  
**


	33. Lost Love

**500 reviews! :O I'm pretty happy with that number. :D**

**This chapter's a bit shorter than the last. One chapter to go and then we're done! Anyways, I have another advertisement for Sorceress Of The Fake, who started up a SYOT. If you're interested in submitting a tribute, just look for her name under the list of reviews or search it!**

**Also my sister drew concept art for her character, Hapi. It's an awesome picture of him in his interview outfit! Just take out the spaces and put an http at the beginning if you wanna see it. Or you could just go to my profile and look in my favorites.  
**

: / / pinacoladafox . deviantart art/Hapi-Concept-Art-324621504

**District 7**

When Ivan died, it had hit Katya harder than anyone else in her family. Natalia, always the dramatic one, had sobbed and wailed and cried her eyes out. Anna remained quiet, but Katya could see the pain on her mother's face. However, her father hadn't looked the least bit upset.

"I always said he wasn't a man." Vladimir scoffed as he watched his own flesh and blood get stabbed through the heart.

Katya wanted to punch him, just as Ivan had punched him on Reaping day. Instead, she rose to her feet and left the room. She exited their house and walked for a long time. At some point, her feet grew tired and she found an empty alley. She huddled there between the two buildings and cried for her brother.

She had been closer to him than anyone else. They were only one year apart, but she had always looked after him. Even though he was so much larger than her, he was still her little brother. In truth, she had never been able to properly take care of him. She was always too afraid to defend him from that monster of a father. Even in the end…he had found courage, but she did not.

Life went on after the loss of Ivan. In fact, it picked right back up. Vladimir forbade the family to speak of him. One time, at dinner, Natalia was chattering away about something when she happened to mention Ivan's name. Her father had slapped her so hard that she fell right out of her chair. Then he returned to his meal, saying nothing.

Natalia sat on the floor for just a moment, looking stunned. Then she slowly climbed back into her seat and resumed eating. The room was silent for about ten minutes…then the bubbly girl got right back to chatting, only about a different subject.

This didn't stop Katya from thinking about her brother every day of the week. Even when the Victory Tour rolled around, she had not stopped mourning him. But she was always known for being the strong, silent type. She betrayed not a speck of sadness on her face as they approached the town square.

As they took their places on the stage, a father and a son pair stood beside them. Katya glanced over and her breath seized in her throat. For some reason, the boy instantly reminded her of Ivan. He looked nothing like her brother, with jet black hair and manlier features. He was on the short side too. Perhaps it was in the way he carried himself. Or maybe it was just because he looked to be the same age as her brother. Either way, nostalgia washed over her and she could feel tears bud in her eyes.

She quickly blinked them away as the ceremony started. But she zoned out, uninterested in what the victor had to say. After all, they reused nearly the same lines every single year. Instead, she turned to the boy standing beside her.

"I'm so sorry about Angela." She said softly.

The boy gave a small start, then turned to look at her. "Thanks," He whispered in a sad voice, "I'm sorry about Ivan."

It wasn't much, but it made Katya feel a little bit better to hear it coming from a stranger. Especially when her own family didn't even seem to care. "I'm Katya." She extended a hand to him.

"Oliver." He replied, reaching out and taking it.

They didn't speak for the rest of the ceremony. Even afterwards, they went their separate ways. Katya had managed to find comfort, if only for a moment.

But then it was time to head home. Back to where her father would abuse her, her mother would watch silently, and her sister would attempt to remain oblivious to this terrible life.

_At least you found a way out, Ivan, _Katya thought, directing her thoughts to him, wherever he may be.

**District 6**

Journey sat alone in the quaint café, clutching a steaming mug of dark coffee. It warmed her hands from the cold winter air, but tasted terrible on her tongue. She still couldn't understand why this was Roam's favorite drink.

"_It's an acquired taste." _She remembered him telling her, as she wrinkled her nose in disgust. She had then proceeded to dump ten sugar packets into her own drink.

These days, she had been trying to wean herself off of sugar and drink the black stuff, like he used to. But she still couldn't see the appeal in it. She hadn't "acquired the taste" at all.

Begrudgingly, she took a sip and swallowed. She flinched at the bitterness, but welcomed the flow of heat that seeped down into her stomach. She sat for a long time, just reveling in it.

Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was the owner of the store. "Sorry, we'll be closing now. The Victory Tour is about to start." He told her, looking sympathetic. She was a regular customer. Everyone seemed to know her tragic story.

"Okay. Thank you," Journey said quietly, handing him the still half-filled mug. He disappeared in the back to wash it out while Journey exited the store, a loud bell announcing her departure.

From the café, she could already see the huge crowd that had gathered around the stage. She could see all of the cameras positioned too. As she walked up, they swiveled towards her, trying to get a good shot. People turned and looked too, parting the crowd and letting her walk through them. She went to the front and found a spot near the platform where the families stood.

She caught sight of Roam's family, forced a smile, and gave them a friendly wave. As soon as she saw Journey, Roam's mother began clambering off the stage and coming towards her.

"Hello, Mrs. Ramble." Journey greeted cordially.

Mrs. Ramble clasped Journey's hand in her own and began to lead her to the stage. "Come on! You're going to stand up here too."

"Oh! No, that's okay!" Journey tried to protest, but Roam's mother cut her off.

"I won't allow it! You represent Roam just as much as the rest of us…get out of the way!" She snapped at a Peacekeeper that had stepped in.

"Family only…" He started to say, but Mrs. Ramble shoved past him, saying, "She's just as much apart of the family as I am!"

Journey could feel warmth spread through her, warmer than any coffee, as Mrs. Ramble led her up to the stage. Once there, Mr. Ramble and his two sons, Otto and Trip, welcomed her as if she were truly part of their family. The five of them shared a loving group hug.

There was a man there too, sobbing into his hands. Journey realized that he was the father of the female tribute who had perished in the Bloodbath. She reached out and took him by the arm, guiding him into their hug. His face was dull and tearstained, but he didn't protest and allowed her to do so.

They stayed like that for a little while, well aware of the cameras trained on them. When the ceremony started, they let go and respectfully listened to Kalin speak.

Journey knew she should have felt angry with him for trying to use her boyfriend. But she knew getting angry would be useless, so she lost herself in feelings of sorrow. During Kalin's speech, memories of Roam rushed through her mind. She had thought she would marry him one day, after they had escaped the danger of being reaped. But it was always too good to be true.

Despite what he had told her, she would hold his final words close to her heart for the rest of her life. She closed her eyes, remembering that last conversation.

"_You're the love of my life, Journey…never forget that. But one day, you'll have to let me go. Just try not to feel too bad about it when you do."_

She opened her eyes, blinking away the tears that blurred her vision. If she tried really hard, she could imagine herself on the morning of the Reaping. Walking there alone in a deep blue dress, looking around for him. Hearing him shout her name, and then turning to see him standing there in a suit, a bouquet of flowers clutched in his hand. Running towards him…spinning around…holding onto him tightly…

Journey closed her eyes once more, reveling in this one moment. Focusing on it so hard, as if she could make it real.

_I'll never let you go, Roam, _She thought, dabbing at her eyes, _Even if someone else comes along. I'll hold you in my heart forever._

**District 5**

Even six months later, Cleo was bitter and filled with hatred. This was the day she had been dreading for a long time. There was just no way she could sit back and listen to that creep of a victor talk about his hard-won victory.

Cleo woke up early to get ready for the day. She put on her Peacekeeper's uniform, knowing that she would be serving as security for the festivities that day. She made sure not to forget her gun. Then she set out for where they would be setting up the stage. It would be so easy. With Kalin onstage, for everyone to see, she would have a clear shot. No one would see it coming. Bang. Dead victor. Satisfaction welled from with Cleo as she imagined the chaos.

But as she approached for her duty, two of her coworkers appeared and came towards her, looking grim. She thought maybe they were going to apologize for her loss, as they had already done so. But then one said, "Hands in the air, Cleo."

Confused, she lifted her arms. One Peacekeeper held her in place while the other confiscated her gun.

"What are you doing?" Cleo said, looking surprised.

"Oh, come on. Don't play dumb. Anyways, you're stationed over there." One of her coworkers said. Then they turned and walked away, one twirling her gun in his hand.

Cleo let out a frustrated sigh and went where they told her. There, she stewed in feelings of rage. As Kalin took to the stage, it only served to make her angrier.

She glared right at him, but she was so furious that she could barely hear a word of his speech. _You killed my daughter, _She kept thinking, _You took her away from me. And I'm not even allowed to stand on the platform to represent her. _

She looked to where Luke's family stood, mourning him. Kalin had used their son, too. He was an ungrateful little weasel. He didn't even seem to care the grief he had caused. Cleo tore her gaze away, soaking in her feelings of sorrow.

Peacekeepers building families had always been frowned upon. Now, she was being punished for it.

But there was no way Cleo could have regretted adopting Amara. She had filled her void of loneliness, keeping her company for six years. From the very first moment, Cleo had loved her like a daughter. They did everything together.

And then…this _brat _came along and tricked her poor daughter. He charmed her into thinking he was some sort of hero. And Amara had come _so close _to winning. So close to coming home and being with her mother again.

It made Cleo sick to the stomach, thinking about it. Her eyes burned as she looked upon Kalin and her hand patted the place where her gun was supposed to be. She would have loved to put a bullet through his head. Make him pay for the suffering he had caused her, and her daughter, and the families of the ones he had killed.

But that would only get her a one way ticket to an execution. _At least I would be with Amara again, _Cleo thought, blinking back tears.

And what would Amara say, if Cleo had killed Kalin? Amara had been shooting to kill in that last hour of the Games. But that's because it was the Hunger Games. It would have been okay if she had killed Kalin, then and there. But now that he was a victor, he had gained some sort of godly immunity.

Cleo let out a frustrated sigh. Killing Kalin wouldn't do any good, as much as she would have loved to avenge Amara. It would cause even more grief and death than there already was.

So Cleo stood silently for the rest of his speech, holding back tears as she mourned the loss of her daughter. When he had finished speaking, he was greeted with a long silence. District 5 didn't even bother cheering. They glared at him stonily, their eyes full of hatred, until he quietly left the stage. Cleo knew the Capitol wouldn't approve of this...districts were supposed to cheer for the victor, no matter what. But she couldn't help but feel a small amount of satisfaction.

She swept her gaze over the crowd of District 5 citizens and felt an unusual sense of camaraderie with them. _Thank you, _She thought quietly, comforted by their support of Amara. It wasn't much...but it let her know that they cared.

**District 4**

Gillbert had truly believed Kelsea would win. He never doubted her…and she never seemed to doubt herself. Even though they lived in such a screwed up world, Gillbert couldn't help but imagine a fairy tale ending for them. She would win the Hunger Games with flying colors. She would escape her parents and her fiancé, and they would live together in the Victor's Village as a married couple.

Even so, it was common knowledge that some victors never found happy endings. Some went insane, others sold their bodies in the Capitol. Gillbert could only wonder how things would've turned out for Kelsea.

On the day of the Victory Tour, Gillbert took a front row seat in front of the mass of civilians. He glared up at the Cutthroat family, who had already assembled. Kelsea had despised them, and he couldn't help but feel the same way. They had treated their daughter terribly in her lifetime, forcing her to do things she didn't want to do. If only they hadn't been so dysfunctional…Kelsea never would have volunteered.

A cold shock of hatred washed over Gillbert as he spotted Orcan, Kelsea's fiancée, ascending the stairs to stand on the platform next to the Cutthroats. Of course _he _would be considered family. A man Kelsea barely knew. Yet, here was Gillbert, down on the ground, when he was the only one Kelsea had truly cared about. It didn't seem right.

Gillbert had a strong urge to go up and knock Orcan off the stage, but he resisted. After all, his relationship with Kelsea had been a secret from her parents.

But looking at the Cutthroat family, Gillbert's bitterness only grew. They seemed so apathetic. Their faces seemed to say, 'she deserved this for disobeying us.' Gillbert clenched his fists at his side. He was so angry, he was shaking.

Then a distraction came along in the form of Dominic's family. His father was coming up, walking a husky dog on a leash. A Peacekeeper tried to stop him, but he pointed at his wife, already on the platform, and cried out, "This dog was more apart of the family than she ever was!"

Gillbert watched in surprise as the Peacekeepers backed down and let him take the dog onto the platform. Pity softened his anger. The man's face was grief-stricken and his eyes still leaked tears, even after six months. This was the true definition of a father. Not afraid to show the sorrow he felt over losing his son.

Gillbert gave a small nod of approval. He watched the ceremony unfold, paying more attention to the Cutthroat's reactions than anything else. But they remained stony-faced until the very end. They looked odd placed next to the man vocalizing every bit of grief he contained.

Sighing, Gillbert went his own way as the crowd dispersed. He caught sight of Dominic's father on the ground, with his arms wrapped around the husky, which had started howling mournfully. He forced himself to walk away, to escape the sorrowful tones.

Before he could get very far, someone stopped him.

"Hey…Gillbert, right?"

Gillbert whipped around to come face to face with Orcan. Immediately, all of his loathing came rushing back. He glared at the other boy, not saying anything.

Orcan hesitated awkwardly at the lack of response. Behind him stood three of his friends, rich snobs from the wealthier part of the district, no doubt. Gillbert narrowed his eyes. He wasn't intimidated.

"I…I just want you to know how sorry I am." Orcan said, looking truly contrite, "If I had known things would have turned out this way, then I never would have forced Kelsea—"

"DON'T YOU SAY HER NAME!"

Gillbert wrenched his fist back and brought it smashing into Orcan's face. Gillbert could feel the satisfying crunch of Orcan's nose under his knuckles. Blood flew from his nostrils and coated his hand.

Before he could do anything else, Orcan's lackeys were immediately upon him, punching him repeatedly. They forced Gillbert to the ground, and he huddled there, trying to protect his face.

"Hey! Break it up, break it up!" Came the stern voice of a Peacekeeper.

Gillbert had to endure another ten seconds of pummeling before his three attackers were restrained. A man helped him to his feet and he stood there, panting and glowering at Orcan.

Orcan scowled right back at him, holding his bloodied nose in his hands. His friends took him and led him away, headed off to seek medical attention.

"Do you want me to call a doctor?" The man that had helped Gillbert up looked at him, concerned.

Gillbert shook his head, wiping at a bloody lip. "I'm fine." He growled, brushing the man off. He turned and limped away for home, every part of his body feeling bruise and battered. But the pain he felt on the outside didn't begin to compare to the pain he felt on the inside.

Kelsea was gone. Their dream of being free had come to an end. Gillbert would continue to grieve over this for a long, long time.

Although punching Orcan in the face did make him feel a little bit better.

**That would have been quite the twist, had Cleo shot Kalin. But having killed 23 tributes, I didn't want to see the last one die (even though I'm sure some of you would have). **


	34. The End of the Road

**It's my birthday! :B I wanted to do the last update on a special day, so it'll always say September 4****th**** there. Yay! **

**District 3**

Every day, Savannah asked herself if things would've turned out differently had she entered the Games instead of Baye. Even if she had died in the same manner, at least _she_ would be the one buried in District 3's cemetery. Not her best friend.

Savannah would often visit Baye's grave. The sight of it always produced the same mixture of sadness and anger. She would cry for a while, but rage would always overtake her grief in the end. "You broke your promise, you jerk!" She would sob, and leave before anyone saw her.

Guilt gripped her to the core. Life was dreary without her best friend. She wished she had never backed down. _I should have gone. It was my name they had called. I should have died.  
_

For some reason, she harbored a little bit of hatred towards Baye. Baye left her drowning in guilt and sorrow. It was selfish, but Savannah would have rather died in the Hunger Games in her place than continue living with these feelings. Maybe, just maybe, she could have made it past the Bloodbath. Maybe she could have won.

_You never know… _Savannah thought sadly.

Attending the Victory Tour didn't help at all. She knew it was just a reminder from the Capitol that they still had power. They shoved the latest victor in their faces, basically saying, 'Haha, you lost your loved ones!'

Savannah melted into the crowd, feeling tired and alone. She saw Baye's father and little sister, Leighton, on the platform designated for families. Leighton was crying her little heart out. Next to them stood a weeping couple, holding and comforting one another. Savannah tried to remember the name of their son, but she couldn't. After Baye died, she had withdrawn into her room and refused to watch anymore of the Games.

Kalin hurriedly got through his speech, speaking in a bored voice that gave away how tired he was of saying it. Everyone at school had been talking about his victory, even months after it happened. He had betrayed his alliance, using others to win the Games. Even though the winners often thanked their allies, he never did. Maybe it was because he knew no one would buy it. It would only fuel their loathing.

He hadn't fooled Baye, but Savannah still harbored a small grudge against him. Baye should have been up there, giving the speech. Not him.

The mayor gave him some beautiful flowers and he left the stage. The audience clapped and cheered, but it was obviously forced, just as it was in every other district. They were supposed to act like this. Otherwise, the Capitol would not be too happy with them.

Savannah didn't even bother. She hoped the cameras would catch her tiny act of rebellion. When the speech was over, she made her way through the mass of people towards Baye's family.

"Mr. Johnson? I'm so sorry." She apologized, tears already making their way down her face. She hadn't spoken to him until now, afraid of the consequences. But now, she forced herself to be brave.

Baye's father spared her a glance. She could see his expression harden slightly. Then he turned and walked away without a word. Leighton looked at her with wide, sad eyes, and then followed behind him.

Savannah lowered her head guiltily. She could see why they blamed her. She headed home, dragging her feet as she followed her parents. She would live with these regrets for years. And she would never forgive Baye for saving her life.

**District 2**

Arrow had been shocked when he watched Adrenaline die. It seemed unreal. She was supposed to _win_. She had been doing so good, killing tons of tributes, and then her own allies turned on her!

When the Careers came together to plan Adrenaline's demise, Arrow had sprung to his feet and started yelling at the TV. He urged Adrenaline to wake up and kill every last one of them, but of course, she couldn't hear him. Crazed, he ran out of his house, as if he could somehow run all the way to where the arena was before morning and save her.

His father caught him and spoke sense to him. Trying to contain his grief, Arrow followed his dad back inside to watch the rest of the Games play out. Arrow fell asleep on the couch with the TV on, praying for Adrenaline to find a way out of this.

When he woke up, she was already dead. Of course, they showed a recap of it. Arrow watched, paralyzed, as the four Careers mobbed his girlfriend, killing her in the span of a few seconds. He screamed and cried for her, but it was too late. She was already dead. Her body would be sent home to him in a coffin.

The next few days, Arrow was subject to an irritating amount of comforting words. First, it was one big, "I'm sorry that happened to your girlfriend." Then it turned into, "There are plenty of fish in the sea."

To every person that told him that, he saved a few choice words. He full-on attacked one of the boys at school for it and wound up getting suspended for a week. But he didn't care. It was nice, being able to mourn Adrenaline alone at home.

Six months later, the victor showed up to give his speech. The families gathered on their special platform. Adrenaline's family stood alongside Zane's; everyone looked extremely upset. Arrow couldn't help but feel a surge of hatred at the sight of Zane's brothers that looked so much like him. After all, Zane had taken part in killing Adrenaline. Even if he _had _tried to protect his district partner to some extent, he had still ripped her apart just like all the others when the time came. At least they had all met their own gruesome ends, one way or another.

Milling about in the crowd, Arrow ran into a girl that painfully reminded him of Adrenaline. She looked incredibly like her—she even had the same red, spiky hair. _Maybe she's a fan of hers… _He thought, staring at her. After all, the Capitol as well as the Career districts usually took to a lot of fashions set by the tributes. Some of his friends grew mohawks in honor of Abbadon from last year, despite the fact that he was Bridon's nemesis.

The girl must have noticed Arrow staring. Her lips curled into a smirk and she made her way over to him. "Hey there," She said, batting her eyelashes, "So I hear you're single now, huh?"

Arrow didn't respond right away. His initial reaction was to think, _Oh man, Adrenaline's going to have a cow when she sees me talking to this chick… _But then he remembered she was dead. She had been for six months.

"Uh…yeah." He said lamely, not bothering to act charming. He caught sight of a fake scar tattooed on the side of her bare neck and couldn't seem to take his eyes off of it.

"That's too bad. Do you want to hang out sometime?" The girl asked sweetly, tilting her head to one side.

"No." Arrow said flatly, turning on his heel and walking away. The girl stood there, looking stunned, but he didn't spare a glance. She was rude, coming off like that. Of course…she was also a lot like Adrenaline.

Fondly, he remembered her last words to him.

"_Don't eye up any other girls while I'm gone or I'll rip your throat out!"_

He chuckled slightly as he took his place in a crowd of strangers. Even from the grave, he could still feel Adrenaline watching him for any signs of cheating.

"Don't worry, Addy." He promised quietly, "I won't for a long, long time."

**District 1**

Sage had been standing in the town square, watching the Hunger Games on the large TV, when he saw Saffron get shot with an arrow. Without a second to lose, Sage sprinted home and burst into his mother's room.

"Maman!" He cried out, using his special name for her.

She was huddled in her bed, staring wide-eyed at her TV. Sage went to her side and hugged her. The rest of the night, they sat in her bed and watched Saffron die. Maman never stopped crying. Sage tried to soothe her, knowing that this couldn't be good for her health.

"I'm here for you, Maman. I'm here…" He whispered.

She clung to him tightly. "I'm so glad I still have you." She sobbed, after Saffron's cannon had rung.

Sage had always been close to his mother, just as Saffron had always been close to his father. Over the next few days, Sage hung around the house more, searching his stepfather for some sort of reaction. But Monsieur Le Bel remained composed. If he was hurting, he didn't show it. Sage had to wonder if he even felt sad at all. Maybe he was angry with his son, for losing. After all, he was a direct reflection of the Le Bel family.

No matter how hard he tried, Sage couldn't figure out how the man felt about his favorite son dying. _Do you even care? _He wondered, observing his stepfather from afar.

Sage thought back to the times when he was young. Monsieur Le Bel would play with Saffron in the garden, just the two of them. Sage would hide in the vicinity and watch them jealously. He would never forget the day Saffron realized that the game would be more fun with more people and he asked his father if his brother could join them.

Sage had felt a spark of hope, but Monsieur Le Bel had quickly destroyed it, saying that he was a half-blooded mongrel that didn't deserve to be anywhere near Saffron. Still, their relationship seemed to be one that a father and son shared.

Until he threw away the instruments. After that day, everything changed. Monsieur Le Bel came to have high expectations for his son. They stopped playing in the garden together. Sage couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph, that he had wound up at the better end of the stick, and he hated himself for it.

And now, Saffron was dead. It was the day of the Victory Tour, the final district Kalin would visit before returning to his own. There was no fair set up this year. Only District 1 victors deserved the full-on celebration that had taken place last year.

Sage stood on the platform with Monsieur Le Bel and his mother, who had found the strength to attend. He glanced to his right to behold the family of Ravish, the Blackwells. A sly smile spread across his face as he laid eyes on the two beautiful daughters.

"Salutations!" He said grandly, turning to face them.

The two girls turned and looked at him in surprise.

"Sage Le Bel," He introduced himself, holding out his hand, "It is a pleasure."

"Um…hello." The younger of the two said uncertainly, "I'm Desire and this is Allure…"

She went to shake his hand, but he snatched it up and kissed it gently. "Beautiful names for beautiful girls," He sighed, his eyes softening, "My deepest condolences for your loss. Just know that I also feel this pain you are experiencing."

Desire was blushing, while Allure rolled her eyes, unimpressed. Kalin's speech began quite abruptly. Sage turned his attention to the stage, the attractive women standing beside him quickly forgotten as he focused on the victor. The boy that had killed his brother. Hatred bubbled up from within, but Sage kept a smooth face throughout the entire thing, playing it cool.

When the ceremony was over, Monsieur Le Bel turned to Sage, looking disgusted. "I'm going to take your mother home," He said stiffly, "Do whatever it is you mongrels do."

"Dig through trash cans and drink the blood of the rats we find!" Sage offered up quite cheerfully.

His stepfather grimaced as if he believed Sage was telling the truth. Then he grabbed his wife's arm and led her off. Sage bid a quiet farewell to Maman, then immersed himself in the party, trying to find where Kalin had gotten.

_There._

He was standing with Channa, the previous victor, who was with her current boyfriend, Rhutter. They had been together almost a year now. Sage crept up and stood behind them, eyeing Rhutter with disapproval.

_She could do a lot better, _He thought reproachfully. _How do you go from a guy like Hip to a guy like this? It's too bad there can only be one victor. Hip was such a bro._

"Anyways," Channa was saying, smiling sweetly at Kalin, "I just wanted to say congratulations. You really deserved it."

"Uh, thanks." Kalin said, looking slightly surprised.

"You won like a true Career!" She sighed, "I wish my tributes had been as competent as you. Well, I'd better get going. See you around."

She linked arms with Rhutter and they turned to walk away. As they went, Sage caught Channa's eye. "Mon amie…" He greeted, flashing a smile at her.

She ignored him and continued on her way. Sage could care less about being snubbed, and turned his attention to Kalin. He could see the boy's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. His eyes were wide with recognition.

"The resemblance is uncanny, non?" Sage laughed, taking a step towards Kalin.

Kalin shifted his weight, looking uncomfortable. "I don't know what you mean." He lied.

"Let's not play games, mon amie," Sage chided, leaning towards Kalin so that he was right in his face, "You shot an arrow into my little brother's heart. His name was Saffron."

"I'm sorry," Kalin muttered, looking away guiltily.

"Of course you are. But 'sorry' doesn't bring him back to life, now does it?" Sage murmured dangerously, coming in even closer. His eyes were chips of blue ice as he hissed in Kalin's ear, "Just know that I would just as easily kill you if those Peacekeepers over there didn't have their guns trained on me at this very moment. Remember that next time you set foot in District 1."

With a flourish, Sage whirled around and walked away, calling, "Au revoir!" over his shoulder in a cheerful tone.

Kalin felt a shiver run up his spine. He glanced back to where the Peacekeepers were standing in a group, but they had returned to their conversations. Kalin knew he wouldn't be venturing back here anytime soon.

Finally, it was time to head home.

**District 11**

Kalin grew excited as the train took him past the boundaries of District 11 and towards his home in the Victor's Village. He was only too grateful to return to his old lifestyle. He just had to get through the speech one more time and he could finally leave the 43rd Hunger Games behind him.

Of course, he would have to begin his new career as a mentor.

...Because of this, he would never truly leave the Games behind. He would go on to train kids just like him. Kids that would go on to die, no matter what action he took. Even out of the arena, children would continue to die by his hand. A chill seized his body as he realized this. He was never going to be free. If he didn't perform his duties correctly, families would suffer for it. The same families he had seen on the Victory Tour, with their dull eyes and tearstained faces.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block them out. He had tried so hard to remain optimistic. He thought he could leave the Games in the past...he had been a fool. The Victory Tour reminded him that he would never escape his past.

And now, giving his final speech, he had to gaze upon the large family of Tiger-Lilly. He had to thank them for their support and tell them how proud he was to be their victor. He promised that he would raise more victors too. And they just looked at him, wondering why he had to rope their daughter into his death trap of a plan. It was his fault Tiger-Lilly had suffered. He didn't need their cold gazes to remind him.

Kalin tried to keep these thoughts at the back of his mind as he concluded his speech. The mayor gave him a large fruit basket (a nice change from flowers) and said a few words himself, thanking Kalin for representing their district well and coming back in one piece. He wished him the best of luck in the future and then the ceremony was over.

There was a great feast, allowing the many residents of the district to come and fill their shrunken bellies. Kalin had to shake a lot of hands and mutter a continuous stream of thanks, until finally, he was able to sit down and partake in the meal.

Surrounded by friends and admirers, Kalin tried to shove away his misgivings, just as he did when the Games had drawn to a close. But this time, they didn't go away.

* * *

A few months later, Kalin was studying the role of mentor in his home, when he spontaneously decided to visit the orchard. So he pulled on some cool clothing and set off for a long walk that took him in the direction of his old job.

Not as many people congratulated him on the street anymore. District 11 was one of the biggest districts, and for a long time, it seemed as if the stream of people commending him for his win would never end. Thankfully, it did.

Taking a deep breathe of clean air, Kalin made his way into the orchard. No one stopped him or asked him why he was there. Victors were allowed to come and go as they pleased, protected by the Capitol. Kalin could still see a few glares being shot his way, especially by the younger children, but he had grown used to their hostility.

Then he spotted a familiar figure perched in a tree, picking oranges.

He smiled and made his way over. It was the girl he had been crushing on before he was whisked off to compete in the Games. In all of the chaos, he had nearly forgotten about her. But now, here she was.

_If I had the courage to win the Games, then I have the courage to do this… _Kalin thought, taking a deep breath and calling out to her.

She looked down from her work, hesitating to join him on the ground. But he waved her down, knowing that he could get her out of trouble if anyone saw her putting off her work. She seemed to realize this too and clambered down the trunk to stand next to him.

But her gaze was cold and unfriendly. "Why are _you _here?" She said, narrowing her eyes.

"I…I thought…um…would you like to go out on a date with me?" Kalin stammered, his face turning bright red. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly and forced a grin.

"And what makes you think I would want to go on a date with _you_?" She huffed.

_Because I'm a victor? _The words ran through his mind, but Kalin didn't want to sound arrogant. "Well…I really like you. And we seem to get along. Err…we used to, anyways…" He said, suddenly feeling unsure. She was looking at him with such detestation…

"No thanks." She snorted, turning back to climb the tree.

"Wait!" Kalin cried out, "Why not?"

"After what you did? I don't want to even be seen with you. Why don't you head back to your rich mansion and leave the rest of us to our hard, sweaty jobs?"

"I'm still the same person!" Kalin replied heatedly.

"That's just the problem." She said dully, her blue eyes boring into him. "Now get out of here." With strong arms, she began hauling herself back up the tree.

"I just wanted to live!" Kalin called back miserably, "Is that a sin?"

His former friend didn't respond. But he knew the answer anyways: _Deceiving and murdering is. _And he had done both, to survive.

Kalin headed home, head bowed, feet dragging in the dust as he reflected on his pitiful life.

He hadn't _wanted _to kill the others. He just wanted to live. He wanted to once again feel the sun on his back and hear the wind rustling the leaves in the orchard. He wanted to feel the satisfaction of drinking water on a hot day, or lying in a warm bed as light filtered through a window. Throughout the entire Victory Tour, he could feel the pain of the families and it made him sad to no end. But with the image he had carved for the Capitol, he tried to keep smiling and making jokes…

But that was the worst part. The Games hadn't changed him. He hadn't been acting when he had deceived and killed his own allies. He had been himself until the end, even in the Capitol. He liked to think otherwise-he wanted to place the blame on the Capitol more than anything. Say they had changed him. But the truth was, they hadn't.

Fear and confusion overwhelmed him and he couldn't help but wonder, _Who am I?_

To the Capitol, he was one of the greatest victors ever. To the districts, he was a terrible human being with no remorse. They would never know the truth. He would just keep on grinning and being as friendly as possible, not letting anyone know just how awful he felt.

He would wear that mask on his face for the rest of his life.

_**~THE END~**_

**Woohoo! We made it! Before I let you go, I have to thank a bunch of you. First of all, a huge thank you for everyone who took the time to read/review this story! An even bigger thank you to those who created a wonderful character for me to have the pleasure of writing. Here's the final placing, along with the names of each tributes' creator:**

**1. Kalin (aerostella)**

**2. Amara (SpunkyFun)**

**3. Jarek (Cinna-is-my-Stylist)**

**4. Zane (Narnian Pirate)**

**5. Hapi (PinaColadaFox)**

**6. Angela (XOXOFutureFame)**

**7. Bentley (1Deleniall)**

**8. Saffron (Me)**

**9. Ravish (Asami Sato)**

**10. Hera (Nellie D)**

**11. Emmett (weirdobookworm)**

**12. Kelsea (The Head Gamemaker)**

**13. Scarlet (lunarisque)**

**14. Adrenaline (Twister Triste)**

**15. Seth (purplee uzumaki)**

**16. Luke (justicesquad111)**

**17. Beatriss (xXjaziXx)**

**18. Tiger-Lilly (AussieTurtleGoneHakunaMatata )**

**19. Dominic (goldanchor)**

**20. Roam (Aravis of Calormen)**

**21. Ember (averyef)**

**22. Ivan (goldanchor)**

**23. Baye (hungergames35)**

**24. Galloway (charlottelove327)**

**Also, thank you to Emiiiiiii99, Aravis of Calormen, loverman22, Asami Sato, The Head Gamemaker, PinaColadaFox, Ashbrie13, JuneTwentieth, and Spunkyfun for sponsoring Kalin, Kelsea, Hera, Kalin (x2), Ravish, Hera (x2), Hapi, and Angela (x2). Although sponsors don't usually change fates in my stories, they do spice things up a great deal. So thank you for your contributions!**

**As usual, the biggest thank you of all goes to my sister, PinaColadaFox, for giving me one of the best tributes ever, editing my story for me, and helping me throw around all sorts of ideas. I've already said it, but I'll say it again. You're amazing and this story wouldn't be where it's at if not for you! Seriously!**

**Before I go, I suspect you're all wondering about a 44****th**** Hunger Games. Well, there are no plans for one right now...or at least, that's what this author's note said until yesterday. Then my sister had to go and create an awesome profile. And then we came up with an awesome arena idea. And then I wrote the first freaking chapter. So yeah, there'll probably be another one, but it won't be for a while since school just started back up. Expect it to come when next summer rolls around, probably around the same time the 42nd started up. If I can't contain myself, it'll arise around Thanksgiving or Christmas. I have no idea. I'm going to try and write some outtakes to force myself to wait and come up with more ideas.  
**

**But, y'know, I've been writing SYOTs for a while; now, I'd just like to sit back and read the ones that I've submitted characters to. So get writing, people!**

**If you'd be interested in submitting a tribute to the next one, just subscribe to this account and you'll see the story when it goes up. Don't bother sending them in early, because that's not going to get you brownie points. I'll only start accepting profiles once the first chapter goes up, you send it to me before that, I'm not going to keep it.  
**

**Don't forget to check out the Hunger Games Outtakes when that goes up too! I promise it'll be funny and you'll get to see some of your favorite characters back in the spotlight. Also, if you ever reread this, keep an eye out for foreshadowing. It's one of my favorite things to insert into a story, although readers don't usually catch it the first time through. :)  
**

**Thanks again for reading and have fun living your lives! **

**-Hipengy aka Hoprocker**


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